None of latest music systems would be possible lacking the aid of latest music amplifiers that strive to satisfy higher and higher demands regarding power and audio fidelity. There is a large amount of amplifier concepts and types. All of these differ in terms of performance. I am going to describe a few of the most popular amp terms including "class-A", "class-D" and "t amps" to help you figure out which of these amps is best for your application. Furthermore, after reading this essay you should be able to comprehend the amplifier specs which suppliers issue. The fundamental operating principle of an audio amp is fairly clear-cut. An audio amplifier is going to take a low-level music signal. This signal generally comes from a source with a comparatively high impedance. It then converts this signal into a large-level signal. This large-level signal may also drive speakers with small impedance. Depending on the type of amp, one of several kinds of elements are used in order to amplify the signal such as tubes in addition to transistors.
Simply put, the function of an audio amp is to translate a low-power music signal into a high-power audio signal. The high-power signal is big enough to drive a loudspeaker sufficiently loud. Determined by the type of amplifier, one of several types of elements are utilized to amplify the signal such as tubes as well as transistors.
One more drawback of tube amps, though, is the low power efficiency. The majority of power that tube amplifiers consume is being dissipated as heat and merely a part is being transformed into audio power. Tube amps, though, a quite costly to make and thus tube amplifiers have by and large been replaced with amps using transistor elements that are less expensive to make.
The first generation types of solid state amps are known as "Class-A" amps. Solid-state amps employ a semiconductor instead of a tube to amplify the signal. Typically bipolar transistors or FETs are being used. In a class-A amp, the signal is being amplified by a transistor which is controlled by the low-level audio signal. Class-A amps have the smallest distortion and usually also the lowest amount of noise of any amplifier architecture. If you require ultra-low distortion then you should take a closer look at class-A models. However, similar to tube amps, class-A amplifiers have very low power efficiency and most of the power is wasted.
By utilizing a series of transistors, class-AB amps improve on the small power efficiency of class-A amplifiers. The working area is split into 2 distinct regions. These two areas are handled by separate transistors. Each of those transistors works more efficiently than the single transistor in a class-A amp. As such, class-AB amplifiers are usually smaller than class-A amplifiers. However, this topology adds some non-linearity or distortion in the region where the signal switches between those areas. As such class-AB amplifiers typically have larger distortion than class-A amps.
Class-D amplifiers are able to attain power efficiencies above 90% by employing a switching transistor that is constantly being switched on and off and thereby the transistor itself does not dissipate any heat. The switching transistor is being controlled by a pulse-width modulator. The switched large-level signal has to be lowpass filtered in order to remove the switching signal and recover the music signal. The switching transistor and also the pulse-width modulator frequently have rather big non-linearities. As a consequence, the amplified signal is going to have some distortion. Class-D amplifiers by nature have larger audio distortion than other types of audio amps.
Modern amplifiers incorporate internal audio feedback to minimize the amount of music distortion. A well-known topology that utilizes this sort of feedback is generally known as "class-T". Class-T amps or "t amps" achieve audio distortion which compares with the audio distortion of class-A amps while at the same time having the power efficiency of class-D amplifiers. Thus t amplifiers can be manufactured extremely small and still achieve high audio fidelity.
Simply put, the function of an audio amp is to translate a low-power music signal into a high-power audio signal. The high-power signal is big enough to drive a loudspeaker sufficiently loud. Determined by the type of amplifier, one of several types of elements are utilized to amplify the signal such as tubes as well as transistors.
One more drawback of tube amps, though, is the low power efficiency. The majority of power that tube amplifiers consume is being dissipated as heat and merely a part is being transformed into audio power. Tube amps, though, a quite costly to make and thus tube amplifiers have by and large been replaced with amps using transistor elements that are less expensive to make.
The first generation types of solid state amps are known as "Class-A" amps. Solid-state amps employ a semiconductor instead of a tube to amplify the signal. Typically bipolar transistors or FETs are being used. In a class-A amp, the signal is being amplified by a transistor which is controlled by the low-level audio signal. Class-A amps have the smallest distortion and usually also the lowest amount of noise of any amplifier architecture. If you require ultra-low distortion then you should take a closer look at class-A models. However, similar to tube amps, class-A amplifiers have very low power efficiency and most of the power is wasted.
By utilizing a series of transistors, class-AB amps improve on the small power efficiency of class-A amplifiers. The working area is split into 2 distinct regions. These two areas are handled by separate transistors. Each of those transistors works more efficiently than the single transistor in a class-A amp. As such, class-AB amplifiers are usually smaller than class-A amplifiers. However, this topology adds some non-linearity or distortion in the region where the signal switches between those areas. As such class-AB amplifiers typically have larger distortion than class-A amps.
Class-D amplifiers are able to attain power efficiencies above 90% by employing a switching transistor that is constantly being switched on and off and thereby the transistor itself does not dissipate any heat. The switching transistor is being controlled by a pulse-width modulator. The switched large-level signal has to be lowpass filtered in order to remove the switching signal and recover the music signal. The switching transistor and also the pulse-width modulator frequently have rather big non-linearities. As a consequence, the amplified signal is going to have some distortion. Class-D amplifiers by nature have larger audio distortion than other types of audio amps.
Modern amplifiers incorporate internal audio feedback to minimize the amount of music distortion. A well-known topology that utilizes this sort of feedback is generally known as "class-T". Class-T amps or "t amps" achieve audio distortion which compares with the audio distortion of class-A amps while at the same time having the power efficiency of class-D amplifiers. Thus t amplifiers can be manufactured extremely small and still achieve high audio fidelity.
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