is a watt just a watt?

[BumpinDoug 10+ year member]

First off- Wesleysh, I hate you. You put words in my moutha nd then try and prove those words wrong. Might you read this post that I just put in again-

NO I WASNT THATS NOT WHAT I MEANT YOU ARE ALL PISSING ME OFF SO ****ING BAD. when your comparing two amps you cant jsut be like, well, a watt is a watt. Some amps are better than others, and saying oh well a watt is a watt is a dumb ass statement. So much more goes into an amp then just the amount of watts it puts out, thats what I meant by saying a watt is a watt as being a naive statement. There is a difference between transition, distortion, and consistancy of a JL and a JBL, and thats that.

That is what I meant by the statemnet about a watt. And while my JL amp says it puts out 1000 watts, its probably more like 1100+, which is STRONGER than it says. And while some amps may not be able to deliver a constant high current to a subwoofer, my amp can, which is why it is SMOOTHER than a JBL. Which is what I meant. Now dont try and put a post with a comback about what I meant to say, because what I just said was what I meant to say. I know a watt is a watt, thats like saying my fluid once of coke is bigger than your fluid ounce of Pepsi. Its a **** measurement and I know that, so stop talkin ****.

 

[wesleysh 10+ year member]

Wow, I even defended you and you still hate me?//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[hihoslva 10+ year member]

Doug - you are confusing watts with actual power.

Yes, your JL puts out 1100 watts. All that means is that you will get the 1000 watts you paid for without harmful distortion and clipping. And the JBL 1200.1 has been tested to put out nearly 1400 watts (1372, I believe). Which means you'll get the 1200 you paid for without distortion and clipping.

If you are considering things such as damping rates and THD - in the car audio environment, those are basically useless terms. There is a threshold at which the human ear can no longer detect many parameters, and most amplifiers pass this test just fine - even the cheapies.

The real test is this: Hook up your JL amp with all processing set flat. Using test equipment and a test tone, find the level at which it puts out - say, 900 watts. Do the same with a JBL (or ANY amp for that matter). Now play music with the amps at the same level. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HEAR A DIFFERENCE.

Pepsi in a champagne glass is still Pepsi. You might like the way the bubbles hit your face from that glass. You might like the way the soda looks in that glass when held up to the light. You might even feel as though the glass enhances the taste - which is perfectly valid. But the bottom line is, IT IS STILL THE SAME PEPSI if it's in any other container.

No one is arguing that JL makes solid products. And they include features that ABSOLUTELY enhance the listening experience. But to say the watts are "smoother" or "more powerful" is total ignorance. The same way that saying your Pepsi is "smoother" or "more flavorful" from a champagne glass is total ignorance.

A watt is a watt is a watt is a watt is a watt. If you think you have a real point here, PLEASE go take Richard Clark's amp challenge and win yourself $10,000. Because until you do, your statements are incorrect.

~HH

 

[bumpin_blazer 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by hihoslva Doug - you are confusing watts with actual power.

 

Yes, your JL puts out 1100 watts. All that means is that you will get the 1000 watts you paid for without harmful distortion and clipping. And the JBL 1200.1 has been tested to put out nearly 1400 watts (1372, I believe). Which means you'll get the 1200 you paid for without distortion and clipping.

 

If you are considering things such as damping rates and THD - in the car audio environment, those are basically useless terms. There is a threshold at which the human ear can no longer detect many parameters, and most amplifiers pass this test just fine - even the cheapies.

 

The real test is this: Hook up your JL amp with all processing set flat. Using test equipment and a test tone, find the level at which it puts out - say, 900 watts. Do the same with a JBL (or ANY amp for that matter). Now play music with the amps at the same level. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HEAR A DIFFERENCE.

 

Pepsi in a champagne glass is still Pepsi. You might like the way the bubbles hit your face from that glass. You might like the way the soda looks in that glass when held up to the light. You might even feel as though the glass enhances the taste - which is perfectly valid. But the bottom line is, IT IS STILL THE SAME PEPSI if it's in any other container.

 

No one is arguing that JL makes solid products. And they include features that ABSOLUTELY enhance the listening experience. But to say the watts are "smoother" or "more powerful" is total ignorance. The same way that saying your Pepsi is "smoother" or "more flavorful" from a champagne glass is total ignorance.

 

A watt is a watt is a watt is a watt is a watt. If you think you have a real point here, PLEASE go take Richard Clark's amp challenge and win yourself $10,000. Because until you do, your statements are incorrect.

 

~HH

whoa i could not have put it better myself. very nice though my friend i just like knowing that i haven't said anything wrong thus far.

adam

 

[paikiah 5,000+ posts]

I finally understand where bumpindoug is coming from.

He's saying that the JL is under rated. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

There's a small problem to the theory though. As it was mentioned before, the JBL was benched to produce 180watts more than the claimed 1200watts. THe JL is rated for 1000watts, and really produced 1100watts.

Whatever the case is, you have a really nice amp, both form AND function. Wish most amps have the 1~4ohm auto load adjustment. It'll make a lot of newbies ask less.