Why are Harman Kardon amplifiers so much more powerful than amplifiers with the same power ratings that are made by other companies?

A Harman Kardon 50-watt amplifier will sound better, louder and cleaner than most 100-watt amplifiers from other companies. The reason is very simple. We give "true" wattage ratings, and our amplifiers utilize something called High-Current Capability (HCC). Please see the comparison below for further explanation. Other companies (100 watts):

Many companies have found new, convenient ways to get "big" wattage ratings on their amplifiers. They may take one frequency or tone (1kHz) and push it through one channel of amplification. This way the power supply only needs to supply power to one tone and one channel (no one listens to one tone through one speaker). This is not a difficult task for a power supply, so you get a nice, high rating like 100 watts. Now let's feed that one tone (1kHz) into 2 channels. Now the power supply has to supply power to 2 channels. The wattage rating is drastically reduced. Now let's take that one tone and make it ALL tones (pink noise). The power supply now has to supply power to all frequencies in both channels. Again, the wattage rating is drastically reduced. Now, your 100-watt amp is suddenly 50 watts (approximately).

Let's take it one step further. When you turn the amp up and begin to average the 50 watts of power, what happens to all of the dynamics/peaks in the sound? It can't get any louder, because the amp has hit its "ceiling," so the sound gets "clipped." The human ear typically can?t hear this clipping because peaks pass by so quickly but, nonetheless, the dynamics are gone.

Our amplifiers (50 watts):

We still rate our amplifiers the old-fashioned way - all frequencies with both channels driven. So "50 watts" is 50 watts. Twenty-five years ago, a 50-watt amp was very powerful. These days you can go to a store and hear a "300 watt" receiver and it won't impress; it lacks dynamic punch.

Now let's take it that extra step. When you turn the amp up and begin to average the 50 watts of power, the amp still needs to put out much more power every time a snare drum, triangle, or movie dynamic (e.g., hand slapping a face) hits. Our amps are able to instantaneously put out 20-100 amps (depending on the model) of high current to the speakers, allowing those dynamics to come through loud and clear, without any distortion. This brings the overall decibel average up, making it seem even louder that 50-watts.

Mere precist bliver det nok ikke ;)