Power Output of Stock BMW radio ( '95 318 )

[Shaun Ledford <shaun@xxxxxx>]

Hello All:

Anyone know the above in watts?
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It all depends upon what the definition of "watts" is (sorry, couldn't'
resist , but in THIS case, it does have some validity)

*	RMS watts (an engineer's definition)
 
*	Music Power watts ( a marketing definition)

*	Peak watts (a corrupted engineering definition - not unusually 2+
times the rms value)

*	into what impedance load (2, 4, 8 ohms,  )

*	in each case above, at what distortion level (0.1%, 1%, 10%, . . . )


*	and again in each case above, at what specified supply voltage level
( 12.6V, 13.4 V, 14.4 Volts ?)

My apology -I  don't have the radio mfgr's answer - but power output rating
is frequently a very old "game" played by audio vendors, and they have a
whole bunch of weasel ways to inflate their claims of output power - so take
what the manufacturer says with a grain of salt unless they define the
"terms and conditions" upon which their claim is based.

In general, into a 4 ohm load, at 10% distortion (about the limit of
tolerability, clearly audible) and with a 14 volt source, unless you go to a
DC-DC converter to provide higher supply voltage for the output stage, the
maximum available power would be about 4-5 watts per channel in a simple
design to a maximum of perhaps 16 watts.  If you see claims higher than
that, consider that either:

*   a  DC-DC converter is incorporated to boost available supply voltage to
output state - that's how the stand alone amps are able to generate claims
of 60-200+ watts per channel, because higher voltage that 14 is made
available at the output stage.  Rare if not never seen by me in a dash
mounted chassis radio.

*     Inflated claims by the vendor based on peculiar definitions,
distortion levels, supply voltages, load impedance, peak Vs RMS, etc.

Harvey

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