Demands concerning audio power and audio fidelity of recent loudspeakers and home theater systems are always growing. At the heart of those products is the stereo amp. Recent stereo amplifiers have to perform well enough to meet those ever increasing requirements. It is tough to choose an amplifier given the huge range of models and concepts. I will describe a few of the most popular amplifier designs including "tube amps", "linear amplifiers", "class-AB" and "class-D" in addition to "class-T amps" to help you understand a few of the terms commonly utilized by amplifier makers. This essay should also help you figure out what topology is perfect for your particular application. An audio amp will convert a low-level music signal which often originates from a high-impedance source into a high-level signal that can drive a speaker with a low impedance. The type of element utilized to amplify the signal is dependent on what amp topology is utilized. Some amplifiers even use several kinds of elements. Typically the following parts are utilized: tubes, bipolar transistors plus FETs.
Simply put, the purpose of an audio amp is to convert a low-power music signal into a high-power audio signal. The high-power signal is large enough to drive a speaker adequately loud. The type of element utilized to amplify the signal is dependent on what amp architecture is utilized. A few amps even use several types of elements. Generally the following parts are utilized: tubes, bipolar transistors plus FETs.
Tube amps used to be common a few decades ago. A tube is able to control the current flow in accordance to a control voltage which is connected to the tube. Tubes, however, are nonlinear in their behavior and will introduce a quite large amount of higher harmonics or distortion. However, this characteristic of tube amplifiers still makes these popular. A lot of people describe tube amps as having a warm sound as opposed to the cold sound of solid state amps.
Solid state amps replace the tube with semiconductor elements, typically bipolar transistors or FETs. The earliest type of solid-state amplifiers is generally known as class-A amps. 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 lowest distortion and generally 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 types. The major drawback is that just like tube amplifiers class A amps have extremely small efficiency. Consequently these amps need big heat sinks in order to radiate the wasted energy and are usually rather heavy.
By utilizing a series of transistors, class-AB amplifiers improve on the small power efficiency of class-A amps. The operating region is divided into 2 separate areas. 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. When the signal transitions between the two separate areas, however, a certain amount of distortion is being produced, thus class-AB amplifiers will not achieve the same audio fidelity as class-A amplifiers.
Class-AB amplifiers improve on the efficiency of class-A amps. They use a number of transistors in order to split up the large-level signals into 2 distinct regions, each of which can be amplified more efficiently. The higher efficiency of class-AB amps also has 2 other advantages. First of all, the required amount of heat sinking is reduced. Consequently class-AB amplifiers can be made lighter and smaller. For that reason, class-AB amps can be made cheaper than class-A amps. Though, this topology adds some non-linearity or distortion in the area where the signal switches between those regions. As such class-AB amps usually have higher distortion than class-A amplifiers.
In order to resolve the dilemma of high audio distortion, modern switching amplifier designs incorporate feedback. The amplified signal is compared with the original low-level signal and errors are corrected. A well-known architecture which uses this sort of feedback is generally known as "class-T". Class-T amps or "t amps" achieve audio distortion that compares with the audio distortion of class-A amps while at the same time having the power efficiency of class-D amps. Thus t amplifiers can be manufactured extremely small and still attain high audio fidelity.
Simply put, the purpose of an audio amp is to convert a low-power music signal into a high-power audio signal. The high-power signal is large enough to drive a speaker adequately loud. The type of element utilized to amplify the signal is dependent on what amp architecture is utilized. A few amps even use several types of elements. Generally the following parts are utilized: tubes, bipolar transistors plus FETs.
Tube amps used to be common a few decades ago. A tube is able to control the current flow in accordance to a control voltage which is connected to the tube. Tubes, however, are nonlinear in their behavior and will introduce a quite large amount of higher harmonics or distortion. However, this characteristic of tube amplifiers still makes these popular. A lot of people describe tube amps as having a warm sound as opposed to the cold sound of solid state amps.
Solid state amps replace the tube with semiconductor elements, typically bipolar transistors or FETs. The earliest type of solid-state amplifiers is generally known as class-A amps. 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 lowest distortion and generally 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 types. The major drawback is that just like tube amplifiers class A amps have extremely small efficiency. Consequently these amps need big heat sinks in order to radiate the wasted energy and are usually rather heavy.
By utilizing a series of transistors, class-AB amplifiers improve on the small power efficiency of class-A amps. The operating region is divided into 2 separate areas. 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. When the signal transitions between the two separate areas, however, a certain amount of distortion is being produced, thus class-AB amplifiers will not achieve the same audio fidelity as class-A amplifiers.
Class-AB amplifiers improve on the efficiency of class-A amps. They use a number of transistors in order to split up the large-level signals into 2 distinct regions, each of which can be amplified more efficiently. The higher efficiency of class-AB amps also has 2 other advantages. First of all, the required amount of heat sinking is reduced. Consequently class-AB amplifiers can be made lighter and smaller. For that reason, class-AB amps can be made cheaper than class-A amps. Though, this topology adds some non-linearity or distortion in the area where the signal switches between those regions. As such class-AB amps usually have higher distortion than class-A amplifiers.
In order to resolve the dilemma of high audio distortion, modern switching amplifier designs incorporate feedback. The amplified signal is compared with the original low-level signal and errors are corrected. A well-known architecture which uses this sort of feedback is generally known as "class-T". Class-T amps or "t amps" achieve audio distortion that compares with the audio distortion of class-A amps while at the same time having the power efficiency of class-D amps. Thus t amplifiers can be manufactured extremely small and still attain high audio fidelity.
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