Amp Wattage question
#41
Registered User
First, we were never talking about "walkmans"..........Second, amps are rated at at whatever watts per channel they might be WHITHIN certain parameters of distortion just like home amplifiers are rated at. When you force an amp to put out more than their "rated" power, ie turning up the volume too much, distortion increases dramatically. The by-product of that increased distortion is heat..........which is what destroys voicecoils in speakers. You always write a page or two on all these "calculations" but never once make mention of the heat generated by that distortion, which is the REAL culprit that will eventually destroy the voicecoil
#42
Registered User
Originally posted by oneaudiopro
First, we were never talking about "walkmans"
First, we were never talking about "walkmans"
"First, any amp can blow any speaker........regardless of its manufacturer or power rating."
"Any amp", that includes amplifiers in Walkmans...they're audio amps, too aren't they? The point, which you continue to miss (for some unknown reason) is it doesn't matter what package the amp is placed in, a 5W Walkman amp is not going to destroy a 500W speaker.
Let's make it simple, answer me this one question (there's no caveats or conditions on it, so you can't shy away from it): Do you believe a 5W amplifier can destroy a 500W speaker? If you say "no", then all of the above argument you've given is crap and you shoudl say so. If you say "yes", specify EXACTLY what would destroy the speaker.
Second, amps are rated at at whatever watts per channel they might be WHITHIN certain parameters of distortion just like home amplifiers are rated at.
When you force an amp to put out more than their "rated" power, ie turning up the volume too much, distortion increases dramatically. The by-product of that increased distortion is heat..........which is what destroys voicecoils in speakers.
You always write a page or two on all these "calculations" but never once make mention of the heat generated by that distortion, which is the REAL culprit that will eventually destroy the voicecoil
#44
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Hey Mac & Mod, I have always subscribed to your explanation of power killing speakers, not distortion (per se). The Walkman-hooked-up-to-the-1000 watt speaker is a great example for challenging that old wives tale that seems to be told again and again and again.
Would one of you mind taking the next step for my curiosity?
What makes an amp clip in the first place? What is the actual electrical process inside the amp that creates a "clipped" wave instead of a, well, "tipped" wave. What are the components that temporarily fail when an amp begins clipping.
Somewhere in this would be the engineering basis for why some amps are rated higher than others, right?
Would one of you mind taking the next step for my curiosity?
What makes an amp clip in the first place? What is the actual electrical process inside the amp that creates a "clipped" wave instead of a, well, "tipped" wave. What are the components that temporarily fail when an amp begins clipping.
Somewhere in this would be the engineering basis for why some amps are rated higher than others, right?
#46
Registered User
[QUOTE]Originally posted by LATEOTT
What makes an amp clip in the first place? What is the actual electrical process inside the amp that creates a "clipped" wave instead of a, well, "tipped" wave.
What makes an amp clip in the first place? What is the actual electrical process inside the amp that creates a "clipped" wave instead of a, well, "tipped" wave.
#50
Registered User
correct -- RMS does not refer to power, but voltage. but it's a common misused phrase... technically it's average power, but industry wise, it's actually called RMS power. technically, it's the power created at RMS voltages.
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