In a word, NO! Peak Music Power is nothing more than a deceptive marketing tool.
The reason for this answer lies in the way some manufacturers (quite deliberately) chose to measure an amplifier's output power.
Peak Music Power Output (sometimes also known as Peak Momentary Power Output) is calculated under perfect conditions and 100% efficiency. In fact, some manufacturers actually connect their products up to enormous power supplies and read the power output at the point of destruction!
Audio amplifiers may be able to deliver enormous amounts of power for a fraction of a second. However this is clearly unsustainable in the real world (unless you are keen on the idea of watching smoke rise from the back of your Hi-Fi gear ... it's true you know, I've seen it happen!)
Restrictive circuitry losses can produce considerable heat in the various audio amplifier stages. As a result, if power levels are maintained above a critical point, the resulting stress will eventually cause damage or complete failure of one or more amplifier stages. If you were lucky, the power supply might fail first.
We have all seen the computer vendors advertising “600 Watt Multimedia Speakers” with their systems. A most deceptive description for sure, but one that sounds great to the novice buyer and one that has no doubt led to a good many sales.
The true measure of Audio Output Power is R.M.S. (Root Mean Squared) also known as Continuous Power.
The important part here is the use of the word "Continuous". The RMS rating, measured in Watts (voltage x current), for an amplifier is the highest amount of power that an amplifier can deliver continuously ... without failing!
In other words, the RMS specification is a true indication of the actual real-world power output limits of a given device.
The higher the RMS figure, the louder and cleaner your music will sound.
So when selecting an amplifier, don’t be fooled by impressive sounding but hugely inflated power output figures. Ask your vendor for specifications on the particular audio device you are interested in. And in particular, look for the R.M.S. power output figures.
The rated output in Watts RMS, will give you a true and definitive indication of an amplifier's performance.
Essence Audio - Music First!
June 2008
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