Glossary Multimedia / Term
Amplifier power in watts available for a short time (typically 20ms) when needed to reproduce loud, sudden sounds (transients). Peak power is always above RMS power, the continuous power the amplifier can produce for long periods of time. MS power is similar to cruising speed while peak power is similar to maximum speed in a car or boat. A car may drive down the highway at an average of 65 miles per hour, the equivalent of its RMS power. However, the car may be capable of going 110 miles per hour for a short time to pass a large truck, equivalent to its peak power. Peak power is the maximum power possible, but it is only available for a short time (like sprinting instead of long-distance running).eak power, sometimes referred to as music power, is related to continuous (RMS) power by the dynamic headroom of an amplifier. If an amplifier has a dynamic headroom (measured in decibels) of 3dB, then its peak power is double its RMS power. So, say an amplifier is rated at 100 watts RMS. If it has a dynamic headroom of 3dB, then its peak power is 200 watts. If it has a dynamic headroom of 6dB, its peak power is 400 watts, and so on. For every 3dB of dynamic headroom, there is a doubling of power when figuring peak power from RMS continuous power.ost high-end amplifiers have dynamic headroom figures of 3dB or less. Why? Because they have the most robust power supplies able to pump out large amounts of power continuously at just about any level. For the best amps, the musical transients (those peaks) are within or nearly within the range of their continuous power to satisfy. So don't be surprised if a very high end amp has a dynamic headroom of 1dB or even less, that just means it does not need to strain to reproduce any sound level.
Permanent link Peak Power - Creation date 2021-01-07