trinityamps.com

This is perhaps a really stupid question - I looked for a bit for an answer but thought I would post it even though I may look a little dim for asking

these amps are known as 18 watts..

yet if the el84's are dissipating 12 watts+ each is that not 24 watts?

I assume that amps are rated as per some other nominal wattage specification but was curious how they came to be known as 18 watt amps

I could ask a way more stupid question then that. Just you wait and see.
Rich

You don't bias to full 100% plate dissipation. 70=65%-85% in cathode bias is more common. You actually bias hotter with cathode bias amps.

So if you run those numbers on 12W and multiply by 2 you get pretty damn close to 18W. 17W, 19W, 20W it all sounds the same though!

_________________
http://pdfelectronics.com

I thought that is actually plate dissipation wattage not amplification wattage? Two different things?

_________________
Les

http://www.soundclick.com/unimind

Yes, there is very little direct correlation between anode dissipation watts and power output watts. Depending on the class of the power amplifier, the output watts get higher relative to the dissipation watts. In theory a true Class A amp can push out 49% of max anode dissipation under ideal conditions. Class AB amps can put out more, and so on with Class B and Class C, etc. So if the Marshall 18W and Vox AC15 were true Class A amps, they would be able to put out a little under 12W at very best.

_________________
Great tones come in small glass jars!