archemedes

All Amped Up
By Krisa Bortz
Posted on Sep 16, 2004

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What this baby needs is — more power. Yeah, it’s a Tim Allen moment, but in an age where every manufacturer “has” amps that “do” 1000-plus-watts, it’s important to know what true power is, and figure out if there is such a thing as “too much.”

For starters, it’s a given that a 200-watt rated sub cannot take 1000 watts of true power and survive very long. That’s one of the reasons RMS ratings, and the new CEA2006 rating standards, exist.

“The CEA-2006 standard is a result of the car audio aftermarket industry, along with the CEA, recognizing the need for an amplifier comparison that consumers can easily understand and trust,” explains Andy Wehmeyer of JBL, who sat on the committee that created the standard. “Without 2006, it has been difficult for consumers, and even some retail salespeople, to compare amplifiers based on real performance. Before CEA 2006, mobile amplifier specifications were loosely based on another CEA standard, EIA 517B. This standard allowed amplifier manufacturers to use almost any number of methods to measure and rate the performance of their products, as long as they provided some cursory information about their testing procedures in the reporting of their specs or their testing standards. Sorting out the differences in testing procedures hasn’t been easy, and all the necessary information hasn’t always been reported.”

While CEA-member manufacturers aren’t required to use the rating, or use it before 2006, there are several manufacturers already using the standard to allow consumers a way to directly compare different products.

“CEA 2006 simply provides a testing and reporting procedure that’s clear, concise, and uniform across brands and models,” states Wehmeyer. “We’ve adopted the standard because it’s the right thing to do for customers. The Harman Consumer Group has complied with the new standard to guarantee JBL and Infinity consumers they’re getting the most bang for their buck, literally, when they go shopping for a new amplifier. It’s about time our industry recognized the importance of providing a useful tool for consumers to use in their buying process. The value of CEA-2006 in the marketplace depends on the whole industry adopting the standard. We’re doing all we can to build top-quality amplifiers and to market them in a way that’s both enthusiastic and realistic. Our specs have always reflected real amplifier performance. We hope other manufacturers will come to the party too.”

Consumers and competitor enthusiasts are already latching onto the idea.

“There are two misleading things on the market today,” states Will Reinholtz, a competitor/enthusiast from West Virginia. “The biggest is the manufacturer’s power rating — unless it’s the new CEA rating.”

“When buying an amp, I, first and foremost, look at the application in which it’s going to be used, then I look at my budget to get me into the ‘level’ of amps,” adds Reinholtz. “After the application — full-range, subwoofer, etc. — and price point have been set, I begin to read all of the specs, features, and research that I can find. I decide what features I actually need. Do I need an internal crossover? Do I need phasing switches? Do I need remote gain controls? This narrows the field and then you can look at style and brands. Do not forget to research reliability.”

So, what if the brands you’re looking at aren’t CEA-2006 rated? Make sure you read the ratings. While subs are just as likely to be over- or under-rated by some manufacturers, one thing you can almost always count on is that if you have subs rated at 500 watts from brand Y, the 500-watt amp from brand Y will likely be a good fit. This is not to say that you have to use the same brand. Take a look at the brand Y rating — if it’s X watts at 1ohm, mono, at 12.5 volts, you can look at other brands with similar ratings and be reasonably confident that brand Q, which has a similar rating, will work for your brand Y subs.

Cosmetics are the other “red light” according to Rheinholtz.

“The other thing is what I like to call the ‘bling-factor’,” he said. “Don’t be suckered into the first piece of shiny chrome that you put your eyes on because, believe me, more than likely you’ll live to regret the purchase in the long run if this is the sole deciding factor. If you can, take every opportunity to listen to the product. For the life of me please, please, please, don’t base your purchase just on what someone tells you. Be your own judge, jury, and executioner.”

An long-time friend of mine, Sean Belanger, a former installer and start-up manufacturer of dBMonkey woofers in Spartanburg, SC, would always give newer enthusiasts this advice: “A chromed piece of poo is still poo.”

Yes, having great looking gear is what gets people interested, but it can also attract the kind of attention you don’t want. Remember, your ears — which hear the music, the reason you have a system — don’t “see” what’s actually producing the sound.