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Tech Tip Of The Day: Half Power

Is a 1000-watt amplifier really that much more powerful than a 500-watt amplifier?

Provided by Sweetwater.

Q: My buddy told me that if I go to a 500-watt power amp from a 1000-watt power amp, the volume will be half as loud.

But someone else said they are really about the same. Or, that the difference wouldn’t be large enough to notice.

Who’s right?

A: All other things being equal, and they rarely are, a 1000-watt power amp will indeed be ~3dB louder than a 500-watt amp.

As you’ve mentioned, 3dB is a noticeable difference, and is the standard difference used to define half power.

So, if you choose to use the 500-watt amplifier in lieu of the 1000-watt amplifier, you should expect to see a halving of your overall output assuming everything else actually is equal.

What do I mean? If your speakers couldn’t handle 1000-watts in the first place and you were running the 1000-watt amplifier at less than full power, you will obviously notice less of a difference, if any.

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Linea Research is a leading designer and manufacturer of high performance power amplifiers and DSP controllers for the entertainment, live sound, installed sound and commercial sound markets.