I was just wondering if there was any way to tell how much power my amp is actually putting out. This could come in handy when tweaking my system for more power. Thanks for the help.

 

Not really. Your best indication would be current draw on the system. You can buy inductive ammeters fairly inexpensively.

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Measuring how much current your amp is drawing and multiplying that by the voltage at your amplifier should give you a roundabout figure of the wattage your amp is putting out.

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You really don't need to worry about the actual wattage, unless your going compete. You just need to know that it sounds good at whatever volume that you want. If you want bragging rights, go with the rated wattage.

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Not really. You'll be able to calculate how many watts the amp is consuming, but not how many it's sending to the speakers. Amps are not 100% efficient, and to complicate matters, their efficiency changes with the output level.

If the speaker had a constant resistance, you could calculate the power output, but because a speaker is reactive, it's not possible without a bunch of expensive test equipment.



------------------

The IROC Homepage
<A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~jli4307/camaro" TARGET=_blank>
View the restoration of an 85 IROC</A>
Custom Thirdgen Subwoofer Enclosures
"I didn't know a bored out Ford could go so slow" -Shenandoah

 

Thanks guys. I guess the best way to tell is by ear or maybe even a decibal meter.

 

There you go.