Tech-Support - Understanding Power Ratings For Car Audio Components from Raven Wing Performance

MAX POWER, PEAK POWER:

Peak Power, Max Power, and most non-conditional claims of wattage performance for electronic components refer to the amount of power that a component can generate or handle on a momentary basis. However, components cannot sustain this power level continuously.

IPP:

Power generating components, amplifiers,

occasionally are referred according to IPP

(Instantaneous Peak Power) because these

components sometimes emit a power surge /

spike upon initial activation. If the Max Power

rating of something like a speaker, for instance,

is equal to or greater than the IPP, Max Power,

rating of the supplying amplifier, the speaker is

less susceptible to damage from the potential

initial power surge upon the activation of the

amplifier.

RMS POWER, CONTINUOUS POWER:

RMS, or Continuous watts indicate how much power can be exchanged on a constant basis, at the rated load, without damaging the unit. In most cases, the stated Max or Peak power is equal to roughly twice the actual RMS power. In the case of amplifiers, always divide the power by the number of channels.

GAIN & VOLUME:

It is advisable to keep the gain on your amplifier set below 65% of maximum, and the volume of the receiver set below 50% of maximum with typical high amplitude (loud) music. This may help avoid destructive clipping distortion.