What is the difference between rms and program power

Enquire about a trade account today. The time has come for clarity and to stop following the pack by quoting Peak or Program Power when it comes to speaker outputs as it just adds to the confusion and makes it harder for every buyer. The RMS power rating is the measure of continuous power that an amplifier can output, or a speaker can handle.

RMS power is derived from Root Mean Square which is a statistical measurement of the magnitude of a varying quantity and is applied to voltage or current. Although it is a standard for components, it is often extended to the different ways on an active system. The program power rating is the maximum wattage that the speaker can handle in bursts.

Therefore the program power is double the RMS rating. The term Program Power is outdated and derives from old swept sine wave power tests. Nowadays, it holds no real meaning. This form of power rating refers to the maximum amount of power the speaker can handle in an instant without damage. We do not recommend that you use the peak, max, PMPO or dynamic power rating when configuring your system because it does not reflect the products capability under everyday use.

Manufacturers still advertise peak power because most consumers are unaware of its meaning. Peak power is used to make a product seem more powerful than it actually is, sometimes even four, five or six times more powerful than the RMS rating.

This would then produce the full output of the speaker or Max SPL. The peak rating is the maximum wattage the voice coils can take in very short peaks. As mentioned before, this is used if you are trying to achieve the maximum output of the speaker or Max SPL rating. A good way to remember this is to think of your speaker like your vehicle.

I have no idea which set of amp numbers to look at 1 ch, both channels, or bridged? Would this amp be a good fit for this speaker? Here is how I would approach this. First you are starting with the cabinet. This is fine, because you need to start somewhere, and the speaker is probably better. Your choice of cabinet has a continuous wattage of watts and it is 8 ohm.

You also mentioned you would like to run two cabinets. Of course any wattage amp will run the cabinet, but here we are trying to maximize the output of our system. If you could only afford a watt amp, just don't try to do a show that should have watts.

A W amp clipping will burn a W cabinet eventually. Back to the point, the ideal setup is where the amp's RMS rating is around the speaker's program rating. This lets the amp's peak wattage approach the peak wattage of the cabinet.

In this case two watt cabinets at 8 ohm each would be like a single cabinet at watts at 4 ohms. With the amp you listed doing watts bridged in a 4 ohm load, you are very close to ideal. This amplifier would perform well with these cabinets.

One thing this does account for is AC line sag. If you can afford to bump the amp to a watt amp at 4 ohms you will have another 1. This is often another reason for amplifiers clipping early. If you don't supply solid AC the amplifier can't put out its rated wattage. For PA subwoofers and mains it is best to get as much dynamic headroom as you can in the amplifiers. It's a lot more fun to run a big rig easy than slamming a small rig to its limits.

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