Why is the SD Powerstage...

[Aceman]

170? or 85/85?

Why not 100 or 50/50, or 50 25/25, or a 300/150 for bass?

Why 170?

[Securb]

Why is my Fender M80 Pro 92 watts? Because engineers are strange people.

[beaubrummels]

I don't know for fact, but my guess would be it's to allow headroom to be clean amplification, not coloring whatever you put through it.

[ErikH]

Spinal Tap response, it's 70 louder than 100.

I have to go with the headroom statement and being able to squeeze that much power from a relatively small footprint.

[CaptainWhizz]

Maybe they were developing it, a prototype came out at 172, and they were like, “screw it, call it 170 and go for it”?

[devastone]

It's probably the max that the class d amplifier chip they are using put out in the circuit they were using it in. If it will put out 170W, why call it 100, or why "detune" the design to lower the output, afterall, more is more, right?

[Bogner]

Additionally it is for all the old and out of shape people whining about needing a lower wattage amp and things being too loud.

[LLL]

170? or 85/85?

Why not 100 or 50/50, or 50 25/25, or a 300/150 for bass?

Why 170?

Because a group of people with far more electronics experience than yourself decided that was a good number, that's why.

[Aceman]

Because a group of people with far more electronics experience than yourself decided that was a good number, that's why.

Yeah, well, you were not one of them. I'm asking as a guitar player. As the Customer, I'd want 20, 30, 50, or 100.

I guess that means SD has more power amp knowledge than every other amp builder in the history of ever. Don't think so.

Electronic experience/knowledge does not equal market knowledge/sensibility.

[Ewizard]

My bet is that the amp module is actually capable of 200+ watts, but they could only find a safe way to put a power supply that would support 170 watts of output into the pedal case they used.

Most of the modules that you find on eBay, and the like, are rated for that wattage at peak. BUTTTT the actual output power is tied directly to the capability of the power supply you use. Most modules have a voltage rating that ranges between 12 to 48 volts for instance. The module will run off of 12 volts, but it will not produce its maximum rated power at that voltage. If you use a power supply that is rated at or near its max voltage rating, it will then produce the maximum rated output power.

When you are trying to build something with constraints utilizing other OEM parts, you sometimes end up compromising on some things. In this case, I think it is that they had an OEM module that was capable of much more power, but they couldn't fit a large enough PSU into the case in order to extrapolate all available power. 170 watts ended up being what they could produce?

[eclecticsynergy]

Why? So they eventually could upgrade it to 200.

[Demanic]

The real question is, does it sound good pushing a board through a 2x12 in a small room?

[devastone]

Power supply, heatsinking, etc...

[Bogner]

Yeah, well, you were not one of them. I'm asking as a guitar player. As the Customer, I'd want 20, 30, 50, or 100.

I guess that means SD has more power amp knowledge than every other amp builder in the history of ever. Don't think so.

Electronic experience/knowledge does not equal market knowledge/sensibility.

For the guy always wanting more...170 is more than 20, 30, 50, 100.

[Bogner]

Because a group of people with far more electronics experience than yourself decided that was a good number, that's why.