RMS is not a unit of measurement!

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

I think you mean the other way around. Agreed, and I'll take that a step farther and say I'd really like to see SPEAKER manufacturers add some time numbers as well. In both cases I think most people who purchase based solely on whoever puts the biggest number on the box would be rather shocked.

DOH! yea, you got it. listing duration of the test to determine ratings for subs, speakers, and amplifiers is what our industry needs.

 

[Beatin' 10+ year member]

they should rate amps "x watts BC"

BC = Before Clipping

 

[T3mpest 10+ year member]

That's why I like ars standards that pro audio uses.. when they say a speaker can hande so much power, it can . They use realistic testing methods that are standardized.

 

[negolien]

If someone mentions that there sub does 500 rms is that so bad? You guys have been around long enough to understand this is defaulted to "500 watts rms".
Now forget my post if someone was trying to setup an equation or something with just saying rms alone and not specifying what was meant by that.

Hey don't go making any sense now...

 

[Full Tilt 10+ year member]

I don't get why guys have to get so worked up over a couple of misused terms. If it helps the novices get a grasp of a concept, why the hell not let them use it? Because you couldn't stand reading a bunch of technically incorrect terms being used among the less knowledgeable so it had to be preached to the masses of CarAudio.com? I mean of all places, seriously?

 

[Roland 10+ year member]

Just an abbreviated way of saying Root Means Squared WATTs, Right? if you just said watts it could be peak or...

Someone ask you how tall you are, don't you just answer with numbers? six four, or... we know it's feet and inches and we pretty much no it rounded off also.

Do folks use RMS for something other than watts in this hobby?

 

[jrdnhsnbrg 10+ year member]

I have ALL the RMS.

Don't question me.

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Just an abbreviated way of saying Root Means Squared WATTs, Right? if you just said watts it could be peak or...Someone ask you how tall you are, don't you just answer with numbers? six four, or... we know it's feet and inches and we pretty much no it rounded off also.

Do folks use RMS for something other than watts in this hobby?

I'd challenge you do define "peak" watts.

The units of measurement that we are generally concerned with are ohms, amperes, volts, and watts. Assuming we're talking about AC current, amps, volts, and watts are averages ALL calculated by Root Means Square method. RMS is the standard way to deal with a waveform period. If people understood what it meant they wouldn't use it at all when discussing any of this stuff.

Seriously, how long does it take to read a WIKI article and correct some ignorance?

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

I don't get why guys have to get so worked up over a couple of misused terms. If it helps the novices get a grasp of a concept, why the hell not let them use it? Because you couldn't stand reading a bunch of technically incorrect terms being used among the less knowledgeable so it had to be preached to the masses of CarAudio.com? I mean of all places, seriously?

So just letting people throw around words they don't understand and make up definitions to go with them is helping folks to get a grasp on something?

Instead of getting offended, people could just read the WIKI, learn WTF they're talking about, then not look completely ignorant when they attempt to discuss things on this board.

 

[Full Tilt 10+ year member]

So just letting people throw around words they don't understand and make up definitions to go with them is helping folks to get a grasp on something?
Instead of getting offended, people could just read the WIKI, learn WTF they're talking about, then not look completely ignorant when they attempt to discuss things on this board.

Some people just don't care near as much about the technicalities as you, and that's something you should learn to accept rather than trying to force on people. Yes, most people use the term incorrectly. But it also does help them get a grasp on the general concept, so why can't you let them leave it at that rather than jam the terminology (that many of them don't care about) down their throats?

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Some people just don't care near as much about the technicalities as you, and that's something you should learn to accept rather than trying to force on people. Yes, most people use the term incorrectly. But it also does help them get a grasp on the general concept, so why can't you let them leave it at that rather than jam the terminology (that many of them don't care about) down their throats?

What concept is it helping with?

People using the term whatsoever implies that besides RMS there is some other type of power/voltage/current that the reader might confuse it with. My guess is that they believe that the "peak" number published by the marketing department of whatever ****-tier brand has some mathematical relationship to RMS of the sine wave. This is complete ******** and only serves those who would take advantage of uninformed consumers.

 

[los33]

What concept is it helping with?
People using the term whatsoever implies that besides RMS there is some other type of power/voltage/current that the reader might confuse it with. My guess is that they believe that the "peak" number published by the marketing department of whatever ****-tier brand has some mathematical relationship to RMS of the sine wave. This is complete ******** and only serves those who would take advantage of uninformed consumers.

Are you angry for the fact they do not use rms correctly by its definition?

or are you angry because new guys coming in the audio world think peak means daily watts.

You are giving mixed signals here....

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Are you angry for the fact they do not use rms correctly by its definition?
or are you angry because new guys coming in the audio world think peak means daily watts.

You are giving mixed signals here....

The use and misuse of the term only adds to confusion and misinformation all around.

ALL power, current, and voltage when discussing AC is measured with RMS. Peak power handling and continuous power handling are BOTH expressed in terms of RMS. Nobody is looking at a waveform on a scope and measuring peak or peak to peak voltage and current to come up with "peak" ratings.

"Peak" power on an amp is some ******** number made up to trick people into buying, "peak" power handling on a loudspeaker is mostly useless and rather arbitrary and typically simply expresses mechanical limits. IMO people that would actually consider a "peak" rating of any kind have no business attempting to run a loudspeaker beyond it's continuous power rating.

 

[LDW3RD 10+ year member]

I appreciate the teaching Teach.

 

[BoomTaco64]

so you want the entire car audio world to stop using the RMS term just because you do not like it when others do not understand it........well then........poof.......done!!!