In article , Bill Evans
wrote:

What I recall from the late seventies is that the International
Institute of High Fidelity (IIHF) had established detailed technical
specifications that defined the measurement techniques that would
necessarily be used to establish the specified amplifier power output on
an RMS, continuous power basis. This specification process was, as I
recall, very rigorously described.

Can't comment on the 'IIHF' apart from noting the the real problem is
likely to be that such bodies may have no way of 'enforcing' their
decisions or standards on manufacturers or shops.

What happened to IIHF? Is there no accepted industry standard, either in
Europe or North America or elsewhere on rating audio amplifier output
power levels?

Pass. The IHFA (not IIHF) did set a series of regulations on how to test
powers back in the 1970's. (IHFA-707 IIRC) These were very demanding, and
some of us did use them for a while. However they were so demanding that
people seem to have decided to stop using them.

This is one of the areas where the audio magazines *could* help if they so
chose. They could adopt a suitable set of test measurement standards and
apply them. Then both publish the results, and 'name and shame' makers whos
published specs were twaddle.

Alas, the track record is that mags tend to prefer to publish 'subjective
auditions'... Pretty useless for prospective customers, and apply no
pressure on makers whatsoever... :-/

Slainte,

Jim

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