Current limit onset definition?

Hi Plato,

I'm not sure that you read my comment accurately.

The point to my mentioning those ridiculous wattage numbers was to illustrate that, as I said, "the 60 amp figure ... is **NOT** [emphasis added] representative of anything the amplifier would be able to do under realistic operating conditions."

As I indicated, the 60 amp figure most likely represents how much current the amplifier would be able to output into a dead short across its output terminals, for a few thousandths of a second. Since 60 amps into a realistic load impedance (2 ohms, 4 ohms, 8 ohms, etc.) would correspond to an absurd amount of power, the amplifier is obviously not capable of putting an amount of current remotely close to 60 amps into those impedances.

Some further comments:

A peak current spec such as that is therefore essentially meaningless. In saying so, btw, I'm not singling out Spectral, as a lot of other amp manufacturers provide similar specs. And adding to the meaninglessness of that kind of spec is the fact that the amount of time the specified peak current can be sustained for never seems to be indicated.

A more meaningful indication of the current capability and general robustness of a solid state amplifier would be whether or not its maximum rated continuous power capability doubles into 4 ohms, relative to 8 ohms (or if not, how closely the 4 ohm rating approaches being double the 8 ohm rating), and doubles again into 2 ohms, relative to 4 ohms (or if not, and if the amp is rated for 2 ohms, how closely the 2 ohm rating approaches being double the 4 ohm rating or four times the 8 ohm rating).

Regards,
-- Al

Peak current is akin to saying a circuit breaker may let through 150A of *instantaneous* current before it trips (in fact, in a short circuit that many instantaneous amps aren't unusual before the breaker trips or wires start to melt); and continuous current is akin to saying the breaker may trip when you reach that many continuous amps flowing through.

Instantaneous current will only be available in low impedances, and as a "spec" it's mostly meaningless, other that to probably somehow try to infer high slew rates (though they are spec'd in Volts, so there, this is why it's really meaningless to me)...

I'm still not clear how Spectral is defining amps
if in fact it outputs only 683 watts into 2 ohms.

Briefly. I understand a 15 amp circuit at 120 voltd is 1800 watts available to the amp. How does this factor in?

The 683 watt spec (for a 2 ohm load), like most amplifier output power ratings, is a rating of how much power it can supply CONTINUOUSLY. Note in the specs for the DMA-180 that just above that number and the numbers for 4 ohm and 8 ohm loads, it says "power output (continuous)."

Amplifier continuous output power specs are also usually based on the assumption that the load impedance is purely resistive, although that is a very rough approximation at best for most speakers. For a resistive load the relation between power, current, and resistance is as follows (note that in this context "amps" is short for "amperes"):

P = (I squared) x R

where P = power in watts.
I = current in amps.
R = resistance in ohms.

Based on that equation it can be calculated that 683 watts into 2 ohms corresponds to 18.48 amps into the 2 ohms.

For the specified ratings into other load impedances:

400 watts into 4 ohms corresponds to 10 amps.
200 watts into 8 ohms corresponds to 5 amps.

I'm somewhat skeptical, btw, that the amplifier can really supply 683 watts per channel into 2 ohms on a continuous basis. The amplifier is specified as having two 4 amp AC line fuses for 120 volt operation, one fuse for each channel. 4 amps x 120 volts = 480 watts. Since the amplifier can't continuously put out more power than it takes in, it would therefore blow the fuse if it were required to put out 683 watts for a sustained period of time.

In any event, though, the 60 ampere current rating has nothing to do with any of that. As I indicated in my earlier posts that rating can be presumed to represent what the amplifier can put out into a short circuit (0 ohms) for a few thousandths of a second. A few thousandths of a second later the amplifier's self-protection mechanisms would kick in, to protect it from the damage it would otherwise suffer it it were to supply such an excessive amount of current for a significant amount of time.

I understand a 15 amp circuit at 120 volts is 1800 watts available to the amp. How does this factor in?

The amplifier is specified as consuming a maximum of 1600 watts, and 250 watts at idle. A 1600 watt draw by the amp would presumably only occur for brief amounts of time, or else the fuses in the amp would blow, as I indicated. Also, for brief amounts of time (say fractions of a second) the AC outlet and its associated circuit breaker and wiring can supply much more than 15 amps, without the breaker tripping. That kind of brief surge of large amounts of current commonly occurs when an appliance such as a refrigerator or an air conditioner compressor switches on, which is why lights are sometimes seen to dim briefly at those times. The large amount of current times the resistance of the house wiring results in a substantial voltage drop in the house wiring, for the brief duration of the current surge.

Regards,
-- Al