How Much Amplifier Power Do I Need?

I'm playing folk music in a coffee shop. How much amplifier power do I need?
Our rock group will be playing in a 2000-seat concert hall. How many watts will we need?
I ust bought some !" speakers. I want to play them as loud as they can get without blowing
them up. #hich amplifier should I get?
"t $rown% we often are asked similar &uestions% and this article will pro'ide some answers.
(irst% define your goal. )o you want to power some loudspeakers so they play as loud as possible
without burning out? If so% all you need to read is the section below. )o you want to achie'e a
certain loudness in a certain 'enue? If so% skip to the section called !ower 's. "pplication.
How much power can my speakers handle?
*ou can determine this by looking at the speaker's data sheet. +ook for the ,ominal Impedance
spec. -ypically it will be 2% .% / or 01 ohms. ,e2t% look for the loudspeaker specification called
$ontinuous !ower Handling or $ontinuous !ower 3ating. It might be called I4$ rating or !ower
capacity.
If you can pre'ent the power amp from clipping 5by using a limiter6% use a power amp that
supplies 2 to . times the speakers continuous power rating per channel. -his allows 7 to 1 d8 of
headroom for peaks in the audio signal. 9peakers are built to handle those short-term peaks. If
you cant keep the power amp from clipping 5say% you ha'e no limiter and the system is
o'erdri'en or goes into feedback6 the amplifier power should e&ual the speakers continuous
power rating. -hat way the speaker wont be damaged if the amp clips by o'erdri'ing its input. In
this case there is no headroom for peaks% so youll ha'e to dri'e the speaker at less than its full
rated power if you want to a'oid distortion.
If you are mainly doing light dance music or 'oice% we recommend that the amplifier power be
0.1 times the $ontinuous !ower rating per channel. If you are doing hea'y metal:grunge% try 2.;
times the $ontinuous !ower rating per channel. -he amplifier power must be rated for the
impedance of the loudspeaker 52% .% / or 01 ohms6.
Here's an e2ample. 9uppose the impedance of your speaker is . ohms% and its $ontinuous !ower
Handling is 000 #. If you are playing light dance music% the amplifier's .-ohm power should be
0.1 2 000 # or 010 # continuous per channel. -o handle hea'y metal:grunge% the amplifier's .-
ohm power should be 2.; 2 000 # or 2;0 # continuous per channel.
If you use much more power% you are likely to damage the speaker by forcing the speaker cone to
its limits. If you use much less power% youll probably turn up the amp until it clips% trying to
make the speaker loud enough. $lipping can damage speakers due to o'erheating. 9o stay with
0.1 to 2.; times the speaker's continuous power rating.
Power vs. Application
-his section will suggest how big a power amplifier you need to fill a 'enue with loud% clear
sound. 8asically% the louder the sound system and the bigger the room% the more power is
re&uired. +oudspeakers with high sensiti'ity need less power than loudspeakers with low
sensiti'ity.
-he list below recommends the total amplifier power needed for se'eral applications. 4ach
application has a range of power based on the desired loudness and the typical loudspeaker
sensiti'ity.
In compiling this list% we made the following assumptions<
-ypical loudspeaker sensiti'ity is /; d8 9!+:#:m for home stereos% =; d8 9!+:#:m for
small !" speakers% 000-00; d8 for medium !" speakers% and 000 d8 for large !"
speakers.
-he recommended power allows for signal peaks of 00 d8 for folk% a>> and pop music.
"ctually the peaks might be as high as 2; d8% but we're allowing for some inaudible
short-term clipping.
-he recommended power allows for signal peaks of 1 d8 for rock music that is highly
limited or compressed.
"ccording to $rown's chief amplifier engineer% ?erald 9tanley% amplifier continuous
power and amplifier peak power are nearly the same. -ypically% peak power is only 0 d8
higher than continuous power% and depends on peak duration.
Total amplifier power required in various applications
,earfield monitoring< 2; # for /; d8 9!+ a'erage 5with 0; d8 peaks6% 2;0 # for =; d8
9!+ a'erage 5with 0; d8 peaks6
Home stereo< 0;0 # for /; d8 9!+ a'erage 5with 0; d8 peaks6% 0%;00 # for =; d8 9!+
a'erage 5with 0; d8 peaks6
(olk music in a coffee shop with ;0 seats< 2; to 2;0 #
(olk music in a medium-si>e auditorium% club or house of worship with 0;0 to 2;0 seats<
=; to 2;0 #
(olk music at a small outdoor festi'al 5;0 feet from speaker to audience6< 2;0 #
!op or a>> music in a medium-si>e auditorium. club or house of worship with 0;0 to 2;0
seats< 2;0 to @;0 #
!op or a>> music in a 2000-seat concert hall< .00 to 0%200 #
3ock music in a medium-si>e auditorium% club or house of worship with 0;0 to 2;0 seats<
"t least 0%;00 #
3ock music at a small outdoor festi'al 5;0 feet from speaker to audience6< "t least 0%000
to 7%000 #
3ock or hea'y metal music in a stadium% arena or ampitheater 5000 to 700 feet from
speaker to audience6< "t least .%000 to 0;%000 #
"lthough a rock concert in an arena could be powered by 0;%000 watts 5allowing only 1 d8 of
headroom for peaks%6 you'll often see large touring sound companies using /0%000 to .00%000
watts total. -hat much power is needed to handle 20-to-2. d8 peaks without any clipping% and to
power e2tra speakers for e'en co'erage of a large area.
If one loudspeaker won't handle the total power re&uired% you need to di'ide the total power
among multiple loudspeakers and multiple amplifier channels. (or e2ample% suppose you need
0000 watts to achie'e the desired a'erage loudness% but your speakers power handling is 2;0
watts continuous. *ou could use a power amplifier of ;00 watts per channel. $onnect two
loudspeakers in parallel on each channel. -hat way% each speaker will recei'e 2;0 watts 5not
considering the change in amplifier power at different impedances% and not considering cable
losses6.
,ote that if you parallel two speakers% their total impedance is hal'ed. (or e2ample% two /-ohm
speakers in parallel ha'e an impedance of . ohms. In that case% each speaker would recei'e half
of the amplifier's .-ohm power.
Power Calculator
On the $rown website is a calculator that determines the amplifier power re&uired to achie'e the
desired 9!+ at a certain distance. It also accounts for the number of d8 of amplifier headroom
needed for audio peaks. -e2t accompanying the calculator gi'es the e&uations used. $lick on the
following link to go to $rown's power calculator< $alculator
-o use that calculator% you need to know the loudspeaker sensiti'ity% peak headroom% listener
distance% and the desired 9!+. +et's e2amine each factor.
Sensitivity
-he sensiti'ity spec can be found in the loudspeaker's data sheet. -ypical sensiti'ity for a !"
loudspeaker is =; to 000 d8-9!+:watt:meter. 8igger speakers generally ha'e higher sensiti'ity
than smaller speakers% and high-fre&uency dri'ers ha'e higher sensiti'ity than low-fre&uency
dri'ers.
Peak headroom
8ecause music has transient peaks that are 1 to 2; d8 abo'e the a'erage le'el% the power
amplifier needs to produce enough power to handle those peaks without distortion.
(or e2ample% if you need 000 watts continuous power to achie'e the desired a'erage 9!+% you
need 0%000 watts continuous to handle 00 d8 peaks% 7%012 watts to handle 0; d8 peaks% and
00%000 watts to handle 20 d8 peaks. $learly% the peaks re&uire far more power than the a'erage
le'els. In the calculator's !eak Headroom field% enter 1 d8 for rock music that is compressed or
limited% or enter 20 to 2; d8 for uncompressed li'e music. If you can li'e with some short-term
clipping which may be inaudible% enter 00 to 0; d8.
Listener distance from source
-his is the distance from the loudspeaker to the farthest listener. If you are using se'eral
loudspeakers that e2tend into the audience% this distance is from the nearest loudspeaker. (or
e2ample% if the audience is 000 feet deep% and you ha'e speakers at 0 feet and ;0 feet% the listener
distance is ;0 feet.
If you don't know this distance% you can make a rough estimate from the typical 'alues below. 8e
sure to enter the distance in meters 5m6.
$offee house< 01 to 72 feet 5../ to =./ m6
9mall club or auditorium< 72 feet 5=./ m6
Aedium club% auditorium or house of worship< .; feet 507.@ m6
2000-seat concert hall< 000 feet 577.; m6
9mall outdoor festi'al< ;0 feet 50;.2 m6
9tadium or arena< 000 to 700 feet 570.; to =0.. m6
esired SPL
+isted below are typical sound pressure le'els 59!+s6 for 'arious types of music. -he 9!+ meter
was set to $-weighting% slow response. *ou might want your system to be at least 00 d8 abo'e
the background noise le'el to achie'e a good signal-to-noise ratio.
,ew age< 10-@0 d8
(olk< @;-=0 d8
Ba>>< /0-=; d8
$lassical< 000 d8
!op< =0-=; d8
3ock< =;-000 d8
Hea'y metal< 000 d8.
!ther Considerations
-he calculations discussed here apply to anechoic or outdoor conditions. If the sound system is
inside a 'enue% the room re'erberation will increase the 9!+ typically by 1 d8. *ou can use this
room gain as e2tra headroom.
9uppose you need to supply 0000 watts for peaks% and your speaker's continuous power handling
is 2;0 watts. " speaker's peak power handling is typically . times its continuous power handling.
9o the speaker can probably handle 0000 watts peak. -hat means you can use a 0000 watt
amplifier to dri'e that speaker -- as long as you use that power for peaks% and do not dri'e the
speaker continuously with 0000 watts. In other words% don't turn up the amp so high that it clips.
#hat if your sound system uses an acti'e crosso'er and a separate power-amp channel for each
dri'er? "pply the calculator to each dri'er type. 9ay you ha'e a 7-way system. )etermine the
power separately for the subs% midrange dri'ers and high-fre&uency dri'ers. "ll three types of
dri'er should produce the same 9!+ at the same distance. ,ote that horn-loaded dri'ers tend to
ha'e much higher sensiti'ity than subwoofers% so the horns need less power to produce the same
9!+ as the subs.
9uppose your sound system has multiple loudspeakers that e2tend into the audience area. (or
e2ample< an outdoor festi'al with speaker clusters on delays e'ery 000 feet% or a set of ceiling-
mounted speakers. "pply the calculator to each nearby speaker cluster or speaker.
Crown Amplifier Selection "uide #rated $y total power%
Once you know how much power you need% you can select a $rown amplifier from this list.
-here is some o'erlap in this list because each power amplifier produces different amounts of
power depending on the load impedance.
*ou might want to choose an amplifier that has more power than you need in case you e2pand
your applications. "lso% it's wise to specify a little more power than you need. *ou can always
turn down a power amp if the system is too loud% but you can't turn up a power amp past
ma2imum if the system is too &uietC
Total power #$oth channels com$ined%
&'(') *+ )-.;
')(,)) *+ 0/0"% 0/0A"% )-@;"
,))(&)) *+ 2/0"% 2/0A"% $!110
&))(-)) *+ 0010"% 0010A"% $!110% $-s 100% D+9 202
-))(.)) *+ $4 0000% $4 2000% $H0% $+0% $-s 100% $-s 0200% E0% A"-102% A"-0202% 93 II%
D+9 202% D+9 .02% D+9 102
.))(,/))) *+ $4 0000% $4 2000% $H0% $H2% $+2% $-s .200% E0% A"-0202% 93 II% D+9 .02%
D+9 102% Ds;00% Ds@00
,/)))(,/')) *+ $4 0000% $4 2000-D% $4 .000% $H2% $H.% $+0% $+2% $+.% $-s 0200% $-s
2000% $-s 7000% $-s .200% $-s /200% E0% E2% A"-0202% A"-2.02% 93 II% D+9 .02% D+9 102%
Ds;00% Ds@00% Ds=00% Ds0200
,/'))('/))) *+ $4 .000% $H.% $+2% $+.% $-s 2000% $-s 7000% $-s /200% I--.000% I--1000%
E2% A"-7100FG% A"-;002FG% 93 I% D+9 102% Ds@00% Ds=00% Ds0200
-/)))(./))) *+ I--1000% I--/000% A"-;002FG
#ith the tools and ad'ice in this article% you should be able to purchase or recommend a power
amplifier with the right amount of wattage for the style of music and 'enue.
0eferences+
8radford 8enn% 8usiness )e'elopment Aanager at $rown International.
)on H $arolyn )a'is% Sound System Engineering, second edition. Howard #. 9ams H $o.%
0=/@% pp. 2@7-2@;.
Bohn 4argle% JBL Professional Sound System Design Manual 1999 Edition 5from
www.blpro.com6
)a'id +. ?lass% -ech 9upport 9pecialist at $rown International.
B8+% Speaker Poer !e"uirements. (rom www.blpro.com.
$huck Ac?regor% How 8ig an "mplifier )o I ,eed for a +oudspeaker?% www.li'e-
audio.com:studyhall:watts.html.
8rad ,elson% 9i2 and a Half 9teps to !roper "mplifier 9i>e% Syn #ud $on %esletter 5Fol. 2@%
,o. 0% #inter 0===6. In that same issue% !at 8rown wrote an article on amplifier power
calculation. 8rad ,elsons article was republished as -he 3ight $all in the 9ept 2000 9ound H
Fideo $ontractor maga>ine.
?erald 9tanley% 9enior Fice !resident of 3esearch H )e'elopment at $rown International.
9yn "ud $on mail list. 9pecial thanks to !at 8rown and 8rad ,elson.
$hris Fice% calculator Ba'ascript programming