I have a quick and honest question, may be kinda stupid but I'm a little confused on the subject. For example, I have a Kenwood amp (KAC9152D, 900RMS at 1 and 2 ohms, has 2 30amp fuses). Now if I were to compare it to another amp, lets just magically say theres another amp with the exact specifications except it has another fuse, making it 3 30 amp fuses. The magical amp with 3 30 amp fuses would technically be a more powerful amp even though the end result in wattage is the same, or is that not possible? I've seen amps with less power, have more fuses which is why im confused. Anyone help me out?

 

would "more powerful" not mean more watts?

..in general, if the ratings are the same, the one with the higher fuse rating will put out more power (watts)

 

it depends on the design, the efficiency of the amp, the way it was rated, and the manufacturer's testing to decide what fuse to use (some amps are under rated, others are over rated). Remember, most music will rarely require the long term current that those fuses protect against, and most fuses have a +/- of about 10% power and a certain amount of time at that level to blow....so, while one designer may decide to use the actual power needed to produce the output as the fuse determinant, another may use a lower fuse rating to offer more protection and assume that the amp won't be used at that level for very long. I think all the new Kenwoods meet CEA rated specifications...so they deliver what they say...at least in terms of the test scenario.

 

I figured it might have something to do with under rating and over rating amps. I know the Kicker ZX300.1 amp I had, actually put out 384 RMS instead of just close to 300, I believe it had 2 20 amp fuses. Thanks for the help guys!

 

you can always do the math...fuses x 14.4 volts= ?? watts times efficiency of amp(a/b are about 50-60%, class d are 70-85%)...this will give you approximate max rms power. Compare that to the rating of the amp, and you can get a good idea if they're bs'ing.

 

Man, don't give out the secret! Now they wont be able to sell those cheap ebay amp anymore...or not, dummy fuse that's an idea

 

lol are you saying my amp sucks? I paid 600 for that amp brand new from a dealer around my area. Last summer I screwd up on the wiring and ran that amp at half an ohm for seven months when it's only rated for one. I'm really rather satisfied with the product whether the ratings are true or not. Everyone I spoke to said the amp should have fried it self after a short period of time.

 

That's about right!

3 X 30 amp in a class A/B at 14.4 = 1296watts, about 55% music and 45% heat, so about 712 watts output.

3 X 30 amp in a class D at 14.4 + 1296 watts, about 75% music and 25% heat, so about 972 watts output.

 

*carves into forearm for safe keeping*

thanks for the tip veeman