Help me understand this. A HU said that it 50watts X 4, what does that mean?

The system in a Nissan Maxima said 200Watt system. So it 50 X 4 = 200watts?

Tell me how do I read this?

Thanks

 

That would mean 50 watts (each) into 4 channels. 200 watts total.

 

Ok, now, what is channel? And why is it important?

Thanks

 

Channels would be front right, front left, rear right, rear left.

Some home receivers have many channels now, with all the dolby surround stuff now, and they too usually list power output per channel. Sometimes some channels will have more power ouput than others.

When comparing power outputs, be careful whether it is in RMS or peak. I've seen some strange measurment methds, that make the numbers larger than they really are.