# New P15 - Status Display and VU meter maths? **URL:** \ **Category:** Power Components\ **Created:** [April 27, 2020, 7:26am UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-p15-status-display-and-vu-meter-maths/16558 "2020-04-27T07:26:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KevinA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ee59a6/32.png) [@KevinA](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/KevinA)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 7:26am UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-p15-status-display-and-vu-meter-maths/16558/1 "2020-04-27T07:26:26Z")
Hi, Ive just received a brand new P15 … and absolutely loving it! These do seem to be the devices you wish you had years ago. I do however have a couple of questions regarding the accuracy or maths involved in the display details. With everything all powered up … and no music playing … the VU meter shows just above 375 watts. The details Status screen shows Power @ 316 watts. The % Load shows 31%. Now 31% of 1500W (the P15 capacity) = 465 watts not 316 watts. ??? Confused about that one!!! Any clues on these values (both the status and VU meter displays)? Thanks Kevin ---
**Author:** ![davida](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/davida/32/94292_2.png) [@davida](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/davida)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 12:57pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-p15-status-display-and-vu-meter-maths/16558/2 "2020-04-27T12:57:02Z")
Hi Kevin, Without knowing what kind of equipment you have plugged into your P15…it is hard to comment on this. Sources, preamps, power amps, subs etc … ---
**Author:** ![KevinA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ee59a6/32.png) [@KevinA](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/KevinA)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 1:09pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-p15-status-display-and-vu-meter-maths/16558/3 "2020-04-27T13:09:47Z")
Hi, Easy - equipment PSA BHK DSD Dac, BHK Pre, BHK 300 Monos, 13" MacBook pro (2013). Cheers ---
**Author:** ![Elk](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/elk/32/1240_2.png) [@Elk](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/Elk)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 1:11pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-p15-status-display-and-vu-meter-maths/16558/4 "2020-04-27T13:11:46Z")
I suspect the p15 display is reflecting the power factor of the load which increases the work the Power Plant needs to do to power the equipment. ---
**Author:** ![Paul](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/paul/32/6_2.png) [@Paul](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/Paul)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 1:24pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-p15-status-display-and-vu-meter-maths/16558/5 "2020-04-27T13:24:24Z")
If I remember correctly I believe what it’s showing you is 31% of the long term power capabilities of the unit. 1200 watts is a peak, as opposed to continuous, output capability of the unit. ---
**Author:** ![KevinA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ee59a6/32.png) [@KevinA](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/KevinA)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 1:35pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-p15-status-display-and-vu-meter-maths/16558/6 "2020-04-27T13:35:19Z")
Thanks Paul for that and for making this great unit and getting it out to Aus. So what does the 316 watts on the status screen represent? Cheers Kevin ---
**Author:** ![davida](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/davida/32/94292_2.png) [@davida](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/davida)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 1:57pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-p15-status-display-and-vu-meter-maths/16558/7 "2020-04-27T13:57:31Z")
Though I have the smaller P12 this info is very helpful for me as well… Paul please help this lightning quick mind of mine…the power watt meter displays the peak capacity of the unit? Me thinks this is what the power meter displays … Would that be corresct? Thank you Paul and Kevin for posting ---
**Author:** ![John\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@John\_H](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/John_H)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 12:56am UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-p15-status-display-and-vu-meter-maths/16558/8 "2020-04-28T00:56:09Z")
I have two P20s powering my two monoblocks and have the same issue with the values on the display not jiving - I have posted this on the PS Audio forum before, but have received no response. > [@P20 calibration question](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/p20-calibration-question/11834/18): > > Under very similar output loads of ~175W the current output amperages between my two P20s are significantly different. Can anyone explain why the discrepancy (over 20%) is so large? I thought the relationship between wattage and amperage was straight-forward math. Is there something else which needs to be calibrated for my two P20s? thinking ---
**Author:** ![davida](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/davida/32/94292_2.png) [@davida](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/davida)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 1:59pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-p15-status-display-and-vu-meter-maths/16558/9 "2020-04-28T13:59:45Z")
Hi John\_H… While I don’t have an authoritative answer…Perhaps I could hazard a guess…from an experience I had with my new P12. My powwer amp is a Parasound A21 …with a rather large power suply, 100,000mfd caps. While playing a Reference Recording of Aaron Copeland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, allowing peaks into 92 ish db range… the power watt meter on P12 went from a normal useage of about 220 watts to and after a thunderous tympani series of whacks…the power watt meter jumped to 350 or so power useage 500 watts in P12 is halfaway point… as this penomenom took place after the series of thunderous tympani attacks …I was puzzled …then I realized it had to be the power caps in my A21’s power supply “drawing a refill” from the P12…this lasted for a blink of the eye it was so quick and returns back to normal. Perhaps the differences shown by your 2 P20s could be reflecting a similar phenomena. Since I don’t know what you have plugged into your P20s I can’t say except to share what I saw occur on my P12… Even my own interpretation of what I experienced could be in error… Hopefully a PS Audio expert will try to address this for us… Best wishes friend. ---
**Author:** ![John\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@John\_H](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/John_H)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 3:03pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-p15-status-display-and-vu-meter-maths/16558/10 "2020-04-28T15:03:16Z")
Hi David, Thanks for your kind words, and interesting story. Mine is nothing as dramatic as yours; simply two monoblocks, with several source components also plugged into each P20, all just idling with low decibel music. There’s something not right about the math, as the relationship between the three electrical variable is simply Watts = Amp x Volts. Granted, there’s some efficiency loss during the regeneration, so if the voltage is fixed, one of the other variables may actually be higher (with a multiplier greater than 1.0). In my case, both voltage and wattage are nearly identical, so the calculation for “current” should also be nearly identical. However, there’s a discrepancy of 20%. Why? ---
**Author:** ![davida](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/davida/32/94292_2.png) [@davida](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/davida)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 3:34pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-p15-status-display-and-vu-meter-maths/16558/11 "2020-04-28T15:34:27Z")
Hey John…it could be that a particular moment instant an amp was “replenishing itself with go juice” even at low db levels…I have seen my system do that to the P12 but not at the same rate as I stated earlier. At low db leveks as well. Perhaps it could be speaker load…speaker sensitivity and room size as well Which speakers are you using? Any subs plugged into a P20? Apart from what I have covered I wouldn’t know, I’m just an enthusiastic file but not an ee. Another thought shut everything down unplug both P20s from wall …then after a moment or 2 go plug P20s back in to wall but do not start amps as of yet wait for P20s to initialize… against the normal order of things I restart sources 1st then power amp to protect P12 from alll the inrush of current at once… Hey Paul M…if you happen on this would you please shed some light on this for us… Your thought are most appreciated…thank you sir!! ---
**Author:** ![John\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@John\_H](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/John_H)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 2:29am UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-p15-status-display-and-vu-meter-maths/16558/12 "2020-04-29T02:29:49Z")
Hi David, It’s just mathematics - very likely, there’s a faulty calculator inside the P20. Dear PS Audio, Comments, please! ---
**Author:** ![davida](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/davida/32/94292_2.png) [@davida](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/davida)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 2:58pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-p15-status-display-and-vu-meter-maths/16558/13 "2020-04-29T14:58:21Z")
John\_H Thanks for the update… Why don’t you submit an ask Paul question…more likely to get an answer quicker… I suspect Paul is rather busy with projects right about now… Use the ask Paul feature