The breakdown continues further: Amplifier A showed us 1,000 watts at .1 percent THD, and Amplifier B showed us 1,000 watts at .03 percent THD. I did lousy in math class, but even I know that .03 percent distortion is a dramatically lower figure than .1 percent. 

The moral of the distortion measurement?  “1,000 watts” isn’t necessarily 1,000 watts by some standards.

There are other power amplifier specs that are interesting, but they deal more with efficiency, speed and other “esoteric” considerations.  Here we’re simply looking at the nuts and bolts of understanding basic amp ratings.
 
It’s entirely possible that Amplifier A will work just fine for your application. It is, however, also entirely possible that Amplifier B, usually (but not absolutely always) at a higher cost, is the right choice in order to get the safe clean performance that your application demands - now and far into the future.

With that in mind, if you’re looking at an amp that’s quite inexpensive for the amount of power it will allegedly provide, definitely ask to see the specs.

And now for a new moral: Don’t make the error of purchasing and using an inadequate amplifier based on misleading wattage claims. Inadequate power can result in lack of clarity and enunciation in your system and can even blow your loudspeakers if there is too much demand placed on the amp.

Jon Baumgartner is a veteran system designer for Sound Solutions in Eastern Iowa, a pro audio engineering/contracting division of West Music Company. Feel free to e-mail him with your questions at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

More Church Sound Basics articles by Jon Baumgartner on PSW:
Graphic Equalization Can Make A World Of Difference
Using Compression To Benefit Overall Sound Quality
Locating Your Loudspeakers & Related Issues
Proper Console Gain Structure, Maximizing Signal-To-Noise Ratio

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