Subwoofers moving but does not seem like the amplifier is putting out Hardly any amps?

[jgi420]

Now  I'm sure this question has been asked before but I was just curious. I have a 1500 watt monoblock amp I have it adjusted so I can get about 21 volume before any clipping starts to occur. The subs seem to move fairly well when the stereo is cranked I have purchased a clamp meter now. I have used this a couple of times.

 

I'm not an expert on clamp meters or anything and I'm not a math electrician professional or anything like that, but what I can't figure out is how some people do amp tests like on YouTube and stuff like that and they show the numbers and claim that some of these amp companies are doing the full power that is advertised.

 

However when I hook the clamp meter up and I have the volume at full tilt and I put on some bass music I look at the clamp meter and it goes up to maybe 18 amps at most it seems like.  How is it possible for an amp that is rated at 1500 w RMS one ohm to be actually putting out anywhere close to 1500 watts? The number I'm seeing is nowhere even close to 150 amps. 

 

I had a power acoustic amp for years and  that had at least 50 amps worth of fusing. Of course I never tested the amps output with a clamp meter and they didn't have one at the time but you spend money upgrading the wiring in your vehicle for a new stereo but it seems like I am not even drawing 8 gauge wire power current how does that work?

[Joe X]

If subs move a lot but aren't loud and not much power is used can be:

 

1) Box has a major leak.

2) your ported box is tuned high and you are playing well below tuning,

3) your amplifier low pass filter is set too low. like 30Hz or something like that.

4) your signal to the amp is low passed.

5) Uncommon issues with the amp itself.