I downloaded the specs for the ICEpower 1000 but it was such a nice day outside I decided to throw the football with my son
.
So now I am looking at the power specs and I may just be as confused as you
. I haven't looked at any other specs yet.
For power, there are FTC and EIA ratings. The EIA power is typically measured "mid-band" (usually 1 KHz) at 1% THD with a single channel operating into a specified load. The FTC rating requires the specified power to be maintained from 20Hz to 20KHz with no more than a specified level of distortion with both channels driven into a specified load. The FTC rating is more conservative and more reflective of the amp's capabilities under "real life" conditions. The EIA rating is useful for a 2 Ohm load because the FTC spec calls for the amp to be operating at full power for 5 minutes prior to measuring. Since 2 Ohms is right about where most protection circuitry is designed to activate, the amp will go into protection mode before the 5 minutes is up. Therefore most manufacturers specify an EIA rating at 2 Ohms.
This amp has an EIA rating of 1100W into 4 Ohms and 600W into 8 Ohms. It has a "cryptic" FTC spec of 150W into 4 Ohms from DC to 3KHz with no specified THD and no heatsink. This FTC spec doesn't mean much to me. Note that a 2 Ohm rating isn't given. Presumably the heat sink is the OEM's responsibility.
So if you were to ask me how this amp would perform with an M80, I'd have to use the EIA spec to give you an answer. So I'd say that it could source somewhere between 300W at maximum M80 impedance (~15 Ohms) and 1100W at minimum M80 impedance (~4 Ohms) at 1 KHz with no more than 1% THD. Although this sounds very respectable, I'd like to understand the FTC rating before passing any judgment. As for the D-Sonic products, it appears to me that they are simply just passing on the ICEpower module specs to their consumers. I hope the A1400-8 specs are easier for us to interpret.
