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One of the many confusing issues in professional audio is that of loudspeaker power
handling. On one side, manufacturers use a variety of terms such as peak, RMS, average or
program power. On another side, there exist differing methods to determine the power handling
of speaker system or component which yield different results. We will try to throw some light
into this subject.

1. Power
Power is energy per time. It is measured in watts. Power delivered by an amplifier to a load
(speaker) is normally determined by dividing the voltage (V) squared by the impedance (Z) :

V²
Power = -----
Z

The resulting type of power will depend on what voltage we use. If peak voltages are used, then
the result is peak power. If RMS voltages are used, then average power (often wrongly referred
to as "RMS") is obtained. RMS (root-mean-square), is only a mathematical method to extract the
mean value of an alternating signal (one with negative as well as positive values).

2. Power tests
To determine a speaker's power handling, one needs to subject it to a power test. This consists
of feeding the speaker with a test signal, typically some kind of noise signal with controlled
dynamics, for a given amount of time, normally ranging from 2 to 100 hours.

The test signal is commonly some form of pink noise. Pink noise is a random signal that shows
the same energy in all frequency bands. This signal is not constant in time, but possesses some
degree of dynamics. Pink noise allows us to perform tests were the speaker is stressed thermally
as well as mechanically.

The dynamics of a signal are expressed in the form of the crest factor. This is determined by the
ratio of the peaks (crests) to the average level of the signal. The graph below shows a 6 dB crest
factor signal, i.e. one that has peaks which are 6 dB louder than the average level. This is
equivalent to a 2:1 ratio between the peak and RMS voltages, which corresponds to a 4:1 ratio
between peak and average ("RMS") power, since power calculations are based on voltage
squared. These dynamics are commonly specified by international standards.

There exist several standards that specify power test procedures. The most relevant are :

2.a. The AES2-1984 standard

This is a standard for loudspeaker components by the Audio Engineering Society. It is very
commonly used, and, although meant for components, it is also often used for individual ways of

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an active system. It specifies a 6 dB crest factor pink noise signal, with a bandwidth of one
decade. For example, a bass loudspeaker could use a 50-500 Hz band, whereas a high frequency
unit could use 1000-10000 Hz. The illustration shows the spectrum of both AES signal spectrum
examples. The duration of the test is 2 hours, after which the component should not show
appreciable damage.

Comparative spectra for different power test signals as seen by a constante percentage
bandwitdh (RTA type) analyzer
(Pink noise would show a flat line)

2.b. The IEC268-1 (1985) standard

This is a standard by the International Electrotechnical Commission. It specifies a 6 dB crest

factor pink noise signal over which an IEC programme filtering has been applied. This programme
spectrum tries to approximate the frequency content of real music, and shows reduced lows and
highs. The illustration compares this spectrum to the AES ones.

Test duration is 100 hours, after which the speaker should not show appreciable damage.

2.c. The EIA RS-426-A (1980) standard

This is a standard by the (USA) Electronic Industries Association. The duration of the test is 8
hours, after which the speaker should not show appreciable damage. The signal is also 6 dB crest
factor pink noise signal, but with programme filtering that is different to the IEC standard and is
also shown on the previous illustration.

2.c. The EIA RS-426-B (1998) standard

426-B means quite a deviation from 426-A. The result of this test is not a "power handling"
specification anymore but an "optimum amplifier power", which is the maximum input power at
which the product under test is rated for acceptability under all three limit categories: a power
compression test with a fast variable rate 40-10 kHz sweep sine wave that gets played
continuously in a loop, a distortion test and an 8-hour "accelerated life test" with 6 dB crest
factor pink noise at half the rated optimum amplifier power and with the spectrum shown on the
graph above. None of the tests should result in appreciable damage or change to the unit. The
measurement procedure for this standard is rather complex, tedious and subjective at times; at
the moment it has not been widely accepted by the sound reinforcement industry and I have
serious doubts it will be, with the possible exception of the accelerated life test, which is not
significantly different to 426-A except for the wider spectrum.

3. Types of speaker power specifications

3.a. Average power. Often wrongly referred to as "RMS" power, since it is derived from RMS
voltage readings. RMS (root-mean-square) only makes sense on variables that have negative as
well as positive values. Power is only positive (goes from the amplifier to the speaker, not the
other way round), so does not need the "root" and the "square" of the RMS process (which just
extract the sign out of a number), just the "mean" (average). Average power is therefore that
which uses RMS voltage for its calculation.

3.b. Programme power. It is an archaic term that derives from old swept sinewave power

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tests. Nowadays, it does hold no real meaning. For most manufacturers, it is simply twice the
average power, although other manufacturers may use ratios other than 2:1. It may be used as a
guideline to the selection of amplifier power. For instance, a speaker with 300W average power
and 600W programme power (2x300W) might use an amplifier with 600W output. This is for
carefully controlled conditions; for more usual applications with some degree of abuse that
amplifier would be too large.

3.c. Peak power. Corresponds to the calculation of power based upon peak voltages. For a 6 dB
crest factor signal, peak power is four times the average power.

From all the above, it can be concluded that, for power test signals with 6 dB crest factor, the
ratios of the three types of power would be as follows:

Power Ratio Example

Average 1 300W
Programme 2 600W
Peak 4
1200W
(not always!)

3.d. Continuous. Simply specifies that the power signal is applied all the time, since there are
some standards that specify intermittent signals.

4. Causes of speaker failure

The causes for speaker failure can be either thermal or mechanical.

The causes for thermal failure are :

too much input power

signals outside the speaker bandpass (radio frequency, subsonic frequencies, deep bass).
Energy not to converted to sound ends up as heat
amplifier clip, the most common cause of thermal failure
direct current (DC) at the amplifier output, although this is uncommon in today's amplifiers
excessive equalization, mostly high frequencies, since these frequencies exhibit low
transducer efficiency and generate lots of heat

To prevent thermal failure, avoid amplifier clip and ensure that the speaker is only receiving
frequencies within its bandpass, using high-pass and low-pass filters to limit the frequency
content being fed to the speaker.

The causes for mechanical failure are always linked to excessive diaphragm (cone) movement.
The speaker shows greater excursion (backward and forward movement) the lower the
frequency. Hence a signal low enough in frequency and large enough in level may cause the
voice coil to exit the gap, resulting in the coil rubbing, and possible ending up shorting or
opening. The worst case scenario happens when the coil former hits the bottom pole piece
("bottoms out") and gets deformed. To prevent mechanical failure, avoid using signals below a
speaker's bandpass, and use an amplifier of the correct power output.

5. Selecting amplifier power

In general, the amplifier power needs to be larger than the speaker's rated power. This is
because an amplifier only delivers its rated output power with sinewave signal, and delivers
much less with a real signal with dynamics. As ageneral guideline, it is recommended to use an
amplifier delivering 50% more power than the speaker's average ("RMS") power. For example,
for a speaker with 450W average power, an amplifier with an output of 700W may be used. If a
small amplifier is used, sufficient level will not be reached, nor the perception that it is attained,
so the signal will tend to be clipped to compensate, thus endangering the integrity of the
speaker.

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