New Amp Power Ratings - RMS or peak?

Nov 12, 2008
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I've been comparing my old setup with some of the newer stuff out there. My old amp works pretty good especially after swapping in a neo speaker, but not sure if it would sound anemic in comparison with newer stuff. When looking at newer amps (Ampeg, Peavey, Fender), I see that many are in the 500 -800 watt range, but no indication if this is RMS or the highest peak value. My older (80's Peavey Combo) is rated at 210/300 w RMS depending on the cab impedence , and it was plenty loud - and the larger amps were 300-450 watts RMS. Nowadays even the smaller combo amps are 300 or more watts. Did amps really get that much more power, or have manufacturers just changed the way they are rated?
 
Tommy, download the manuals for the amps that interest you. Any reputable bass amp company has them available on their website. Check out the specs. They usually list the wattage in RMS. If they don't, run away! Specs are usually about the last page of the manual. If they make a decent amp, they ought to be able to figure out how PDF's work, so the table of contents should be "clickable."
 
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