What does 1000W peak output @ 4 ohms, bridged mean?

Question

im tryin to shop for a new amp for my car is this a good one http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8696351&type=product&id=1198888991131

Answer 1

Continuous Watts per Channel (4 Ohms) 300 x 1

Continuous Watts per Channel (2 Ohms) 500 x 1

Continuous Watts Bridged 500

Max Power Watts per Channel (4 Ohms) 300 x 1

Max Power Watts per Channel (2 Ohms)500 x 1

Max Power Watts per Channel (4 Ohms Bridged) 1000

Ok....Peak out put means ABSOLUTE LOUDEST With the gains turned up and everything at its 100% full functionallity and everything right it will hit up to 1000 watts...NOT CONTINUOUS.  So in otherwords it might hit 1k on occasion.  But 500 watts continious is what this amp will do given the right subs and ohms and such.

So depending on what kind of sub you have, if it can handle 500 watts or less at 2ohm or 300 watts an 4 ohms then no prob.

Answer 2

It means that the amp manufacturer wants to sell some amps, and they think that a "1000-watt" rating will do it.

"Peak" and "max" power ratings are essentially meaningless.  There's no accepted standard for these ratings, so most manufacturers just come up with some multiple of the actual RMS power rating.

In the case of that specific amp, the phrase is especially meaningless.  A mono amp, like that one, can't be "bridged".  Someone at Best Buy needs a lesson in basic amplifier terminology; there's no such thing as a "bridgeable mono amplifier" (although some mono amps can be combined with a second mono amp to produce a single output with more power).

When comparing amps, look only at the RMS ratings.  Also, look for amps with ratings that are "CEA-2006" compliant.  This is the new standard for rating amplifier power, so if you're comparing CEA-2006 compliant amps, you'll know the ratings are comparable.

"Bridged" means that two channel are combined into a single channel for more power.  "4-ohms" refers to the impedance rating of the speaker or sub to which the amp is connected.  Most amplifiers produce different amounts of power with different impedance loads, so a power rating should always include an impedance spec.  

The amp in your link is a decent amplifier, but we'd need to know more about the subwoofer system you're using it with to tell you whether it's a good match.