Advertised wattage

[1tribeca]

Question:

Why is it that whenever a "cheaper" brand of system is advertised it always claims outrageous wattage? For instance, I've seen complete home theatre packages at BB claiming "600 watts" etc. etc.

Now, there's NO WAY that this weak system can put out that kind of power. Especially since the main unit is about a thin as a DVD player! What exactly are they doing to make people think these components are powerful enough to support a G'nR concert???

 

[MDS]

They add together the power output of each channel so 7 channels at 100 watts per channel becomes a '700 watt system'.

 

[no. 5]

Into 4 ohms at 1kHz with 10% THD.

I saw a HTIB once that had speakers that were something like 2.3 ohms (if memory serves).

 

[Hi Ho]

Some of them quote "PMPO" or "Peak Music Power Output". It is a bogus measurement of the systems theoretical peak power... which it would be able to sustain for a fraction of a second before frying.

 

[wire]

Question:

Why is it that whenever a "cheaper" brand of system is advertised it always claims outrageous wattage? For instance, I've seen complete home theatre packages at BB claiming "600 watts" etc. etc.

Now, there's NO WAY that this weak system can put out that kind of power. Especially since the main unit is about a thin as a DVD player! What exactly are they doing to make people think these components are powerful enough to support a G'nR concert???

Personally , i would not trust what most of the midfi recievers do either .

 

[Davemcc]

They add together the power output of each channel so 7 channels at 100 watts per channel becomes a '700 watt system'.

Then they add the subwoofer into the total system power so the 700 watt system becomes a 1000 watt system. Impressive.

 

[darien87]

Read the fine print. It probably says something like,

"600 watts...





and then it exploded into a million tiny pieces."

 

[j_garcia]

and then it exploded into a million tiny pieces."

LOL, it did 40mph too... down hill with a 39.9 mph wind behind it.... AND it will wash your windows.


If they told you it only actually put out 25w RMS would you even look at it twice? THAT is why the stupid ratings... They have to get the unsuspecting, uninformed to buy.

 

[zhimbo]

They add together the power output of each channel so 7 channels at 100 watts per channel becomes a '700 watt system'.

Makes sense to me. Just like if I can run 100 yards at 20 mph, that means I can run 700 yards at 140mph.

 

[j_garcia]

They add together the power output of each channel so 7 channels at 100 watts per channel becomes a '700 watt system'.

Which is theoretically, technically true, that each individual channel is capable of 100w on a good day. Now try playing something busy in multichannel and you quickly find that when more than one channel is playing something and you quickly saturate the power supply that 100w rating went out the window....

 

[1tribeca]

So it's something to be ignored then? It's what the component can HANDLE, not PUT OUT?

Sounds sneaky!!

 

[highfihoney]

Sounds sneaky!!

Not only is it sneaky its a down right lie,there are many different methods used to determine wattage & from my experience most methods are simply a lie.

These manufacturers learned to advertise wattages this way from the car audio market where wild claims of obscene wattages are made also.

 

[highfihoney]

Into 4 ohms at 1kHz with 10% THD.

I cant remember the exact brand but it was either sony or pioneer where i saw last year at best buy where they proudly put stickers on their recievers advertising the 10% distortion at 1khz as a selling point.

 

[Ampdog]

Gee, you guys are nasty!!

But sadly: YES.

Specs these days are written by promotion experts, who must look in the dictionary how to spell "watts". Since most has been said, I will not repeat.

Having been asked the same question over and over by non-technical people (a good sign: at least they are aware of an impending problem), I worked out that some guide might be given by looking at the system's power consumption. Hopefully the "manual" will give it on the last page, or it will be stamped on the back of the unit. A very wild estimate will be that, altogether, the total audio output of all chanells will sum to about 60% of that rating, maximum. Wild as said, but at least some ball park indication.

 

[no. 5]

Gee, you guys are nasty!!

But sadly: YES.

Specs these days are written by promotion experts, who must look in the dictionary how to spell "watts". Since most has been said, I will not repeat.

Having been asked the same question over and over by non-technical people (a good sign: at least they are aware of an impending problem), I worked out that some guide might be given by looking at the system's power consumption. Hopefully the "manual" will give it on the last page, or it will be stamped on the back of the unit. A very wild estimate will be that, altogether, the total audio output of all chanells will sum to about 60% of that rating, maximum. Wild as said, but at least some ball park indication.

I remember looking in the manual of a "1,000 watt" HTIB once, and finding the total power consumption was 160 watts.

 

[dave1490]

Which is theoretically, technically true, that each individual channel is capable of 100w on a good day. Now try playing something busy in multichannel and you quickly find that when more than one channel is playing something and you quickly saturate the power supply that 100w rating went out the window....

i tryed to tell this to other,s a few month,s ago and gave then numbers of 40-50watt,s no 1 would beleive me!!!!!!!!.had a big debait how no 1 needs continuos power.{to each his own}

 

[ParadigmDawg]

When people come over that know nothing about the AV world; I just tell them that my system has a million watts. I have to say that or they wont understand why mine sounds better then their "1000" watt 300 dollar HTIB.