power

Car amp marketing and nomenclature almost always take the continuous power output and the dynamic power output and add those numbers together then they times that by the number of channels to get one overall total power output number. This is misleading (imo) and why they can make claims of 1K or 5K or 10K watts for there amplifiers.

Matt M

mattmiller. i have a mcintosh mc602 power amp with 600 watts a chanell. their next amp comes out at 1200 watts a chanell with their mono blocks. it seems that mcintosh can't make an amp with say 700, 800, 900, 1000 or 1100 watts a chanell. doe's any other company build any different?

I can see it now: a whole line of amps at all these different output points! Not necessary nor sensible. You need to double the power to achieve a 3dB increase in volume. 

noromance, hi there. I've read the 'stereo review' magazine from 1970 till there retirement. Julian hirsh wrote that to hear a 3db increase in volume you would have to 'triple' your power.

Many auto amps are made for competition.... In the competition world, they have power classes.  Those classes are normally based on how much total power you have in your vehicle based on a 4 ohm power ratings on your amplifier.  However,  many of these amplifiers are rated at how much power output that they are capable of at 1 ohm or even 1/2 ohm with all channels driven... A few of the excellent competition amps will double their output down to 1/4 ohm load..  
So,  100 watt per channel amp @  4 ohms gives you a 3200 watt amp @ 1/4 ohms …. again, "all channels driven"