RMS stands for Root Means Square, or simply means power. This refers to how much continuous power the speaker can handle. This is important to know when connecting speakers in a multitude of situations. Whether it’s a live scenario or in-studio, even if you’re hooking up a custom sound system in your home or car. Most RMS levels are lower than their peak wattage rating, but it also represents the power of what the speaker is capable of. RMS is basically the average power of what a speaker can handle on a day to day basis and keeping the sound clear without any distortion and or compromising sound quality.
This brings us to Peak Watts. As the name suggests, it is the highest or maximum capacity your speakers can handle in short bursts without blowing. The same applies to amps, woofer, and others. If the unit is being subjected to a constant amount of power, you run the risk of burning wires and damaging voice coils, hence the short bursts.
So, when you go shopping for your next speaker system this should definitely be on your mind. We know that the peak rating will be higher than the RMS rating when looking for your next speaker or sub-woofer and most will tend to gravitate towards the higher rating, but you need to be careful. Why? because we know that peak power ratings are double that of RMS ratings, so you need to know if the speaker or item you’re purchasing is rated in peak or RMS. For example, if an item is rated at 50 RMS and another at 100 Peak, they’re rated the exact same as we know Peak is just double the RMS rating. You’re not getting more power, so be aware as most manufacturers like to advertise with Peak power. If you want equipment to have a long-lasting life, then shop with the RMS wattage in mind, as the power input is where you should be listening to your music as it provides the optimal quality in sound and longevity.