Why can't companies make true ratings?

[Deven_1313 10+ year member]

I don't know about the rest of you... but I think its kind of annoying when the sign of a good amp is that it puts out more than its rated power... Why can't the ratings be ACCURATE... I mean there are 1200 watt amps that put out over 1500 watts. Alot of the top companies rate thier amps around 300 less than what they put out...

Here's my suggestion:

Rate all amps at 12.5 and at 14.4 and give the actual wattage for both, if you want to underrate keep it under 100 watts...

Click to read more...

 

[meanman101 10+ year member]

Thats a good suggestion. I think that for the most part the voltage used is the difference. However until car audio gets properly regulated companies will use what ever gimmick makes them the most money.

 

[bumpin_blazer 5,000+ posts]

I don't know about the rest of you... but I think its kind of annoying when the sign of a good amp is that it puts out more than its rated power... Why can't the ratings be ACCURATE... I mean there are 1200 watt amps that put out over 1500 watts. Alot of the top companies rate thier amps around 300 less than what they put out...
Here's my suggestion:

Rate all amps at 12.5 and at 14.4 and give the actual wattage for both, if you want to underrate keep it under 100 watts...

why would you whine about extra wattage?? besides 90% of people dont hold 14.4 volts with over 900rms so what does it matter if they rate at 1200 but it does 1500@14.4 you won't get 1500 if you do 12.5volt.

adam

 

[BiaBia 10+ year member]

I might be talking out of my ***, but...

Even then, different amps from the same company and same design put out different ratings. No one kind of amp is the exact same. They might have tested and tested the same amp, and gotten LOWER than the rating they're selling at. Then put it out on the market, and their amps put out more or less than their tested amp on the shelves. There isn't really a way you can duplicate the exact wattage.

-Alex

 

[Deven_1313 10+ year member]

why would you whine about extra wattage?? besides 90% of people dont hold 14.4 volts with over 900rms so what does it matter if they rate at 1200 but it does 1500@14.4 you won't get 1500 if you do 12.5volt.
adam

Thats my point of the two different ratings... And it doesn't only need to be for amps over 900 watts... Its not whining, its just hard to figure out when trying to compare different amps... If you want 1200 watts to go to your sub(s), do you buy a 1200 watt amp? or do you buy a 1000 watt amp? I know headroom is cool, but how do you know how much headroom you have? You can go get it benched, but wouldn't it just be easier to have an accurate rating??

 

[awalbert88 10+ year member]

How can you say companies underrate their amplifiers ?

Hehehe //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/satan.gif.9c6a335ed7aeeed3ee273e573f1fcaac.gif

I wouldn't be dissappointed if I thought I was buying a 400 watt amplifier and it turned out to be an 850 watt amplifier //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Unless of course you have a sub that is rated at 400RMS and the sub gets fried because it got too much power. Unlikely, though.

 

[bumpin_blazer 5,000+ posts]

Thats my point of the two different ratings... And it doesn't only need to be for amps over 900 watts... Its not whining, its just hard to figure out when trying to compare different amps... If you want 1200 watts to go to your sub(s), do you buy a 1200 watt amp? or do you buy a 1000 watt amp? I know headroom is cool, but how do you know how much headroom you have? You can go get it benched, but wouldn't it just be easier to have an accurate rating??

so wait if i had a pair of 12"s that say handle 600rms but i run 750 it won't be overkill. it's called a gain nob and not being a volume master simple as that man. honestly if your thining ok i can run 600 to each and be fine, the sub's thermal or mechanical power handling has got to be at least able to handle about 100-200 more. besides that, you won't be running it full tilt all the time anyway. i mean my D2 is rated at 600rms i'm running my 35.1D @1ohm giving it 1690rms is the sub fine, yup not 1 time have i smelt a bad smell and i've beaten that thing a few times hehe.

adam

 

[Deven_1313 10+ year member]

True but I don't know I just think it'd be alot cooler if every company gave true ratings, have some sort of rating system like they do with video games. Have each company send to a company or magazine or something... then you could give the rating and say that its (rating system) certified.... That would get rid of a lot of the bs especially surrounding sub-par companies that noobs get suckered into... (I bought a boss amp when I frist got into car audio haha)

 

[thinkbig 10+ year member]

Underrating amps also has its advantage for competitors where an amp's spec'ed power decides which power class you are in.

 

[Deven_1313 10+ year member]

Underrating amps also has its advantage for competitors where an amp's spec'ed power decides which power class you are in.

Another good reason it should be regulated //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

I feel like I'm all alone on this one

 

[bumpin_blazer 5,000+ posts]

ahhh now i see your reasoning behind this one. you bought a (in huge letters) 1000 WATT'S OF (tiny letters) max power boss amp. i'm using a "cheater" amp that at 4ohm puts me in the 0-150 class. now if i get bumped up to the 150-300 will i *****?? hell no i know i can still own 90 percent of people around in the 150-300 hell my score would have taken last years national 3rd place title in USACI lol.

adam

 

[LBX2G 10+ year member]

Unless of course you have a sub that is rated at 400RMS and the sub gets fried because it got too much power. Unlikely, though.

This amp was tested at 2 ohms and that is why it is so high. I mean if u want a every amp to have a certian rating then that is not possible. Every amp that the company is not the same. Is a long story You can instant message me at Mocabrother15 and i can tell u more.

But an other reason is that company have like Amercian pro have a way of rating there amps.Like lets take there 800 watt amp. The amp can do 800 watts @1/2 ohm even tho it is 2 Ohm stable. The amp does that 800 watts for about .5 a second and then it blows up and catches fire.

 

[slipknot87420 10+ year member]

dumbass..... it was tested @ 4 ohms

This amp was tested at 2 ohms and that is why it is so high. I mean if u want a every amp to have a certian rating then that is not possible. Every amp that the company is not the same. Is a long story You can instant message me at Mocabrother15 and i can tell u more.
But an other reason is that company have like Amercian pro have a way of rating there amps.Like lets take there 800 watt amp. The amp can do 800 watts @1/2 ohm even tho it is 2 Ohm stable. The amp does that 800 watts for about .5 a second and then it blows up and catches fire.

 

[Wonderbread 5,000+ posts]

Marketing, plain and simple. Companies put on their amplifiers what people want to see, and that's huge power numbers. What you have to realize is that they are not lying. "2000 watts peak (max) power!" Chances are, that the amp WILL in fact produce 2000 watts peak. For a fraction of a second. Thing is, each company does its own ratings and they decide what procedure to use. Knowing what to look for is the important part. Knowing to look for the RMS ratings at certain voltages with certain THD numbers is important. Sadly, the companies know that the average entry level car audio customer does NOT know this, and sadly, that's who they prey on to make their profits. That's the free market laissez-faire economy for you.

I came across a link on the Soundillusions News section, but it's not there anymore... Josh, if you're out there do you still have that link for the implimentation of the standardized amplifier ratings??

 

[Matador 10+ year member]

it's a marketing strategy.

ppl wjho dont know bout car audio think tthey buying a 1000 watt amp, n then run a 800watt amp for speakers, n anotehr 1000watt fora nother sub n say tehy runnin almost 3000 watts, when they really runnin only 1000watts maybe.

ppl r just unirfomed that's all. even in the hu they advertise the peak wattage output, n preoutputs, not the actual rms.