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Technical
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Below
is a discussion of amplifiers, what they do, what manufacturers claim
that they do, and what does and does not matter when choosing an amplifier.
Following this discussion is a list of important parameters, tolerances
and definitions including
power
, to take
into consideration when purchasing an amplifier.
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"This
amplifier sounds super smooth, powerful, and yet produces velvetine subtle
details bathed in an atmosphere
The
above prose is characteristic of many purported reviews of Audio amplifiers.
It is pure hyperbole that feeds on the kind of marketing-created subjectivism
that infects all too much advertising about audio, and a good many other
products. Remember, science tells the tale best, at least in electronics.
Amplitude
Amplifiers
are devices or circuits that increase the amplitude of the signal fed
into them. Any additional changes in the nature of signal are a form of
distortion. A popular engineering aim, is to construct amplifiers as,
" a straight wire with gain." Qualities present in the output
that were not in the input are to be avoided. In the perfect amplifier,
the best thing that could be said of it is that, "It works."
Impedance
Distortion
Power
Loudspeakers have a complex inductive reactance associated with the voice coil and a resistive loading factor that in combination are known as impedance. This impedance varies considerably with frequency. But the standard procedure is to select a nominal value for the purpose of computing the power calculation. For car amplifiers, this is usually four ohms, but with higher power systems this can be much lower. The standard formula multiplies the voltage by the current, or the voltage squared divided by the impedance. The product is the amplifier's power potential in watts.
Note
that amplifiers, like light bulbs only consume watts when they are actually
creating sound in speakers. For this reason, no matter what the capacity
of the amplifier and woofer, normal room volume will, on average, only
need about 5 to 10 watts for sound thought to be loud. The rest of the
extra ten to thousand watts are used only in creating deep loud bass.
An
amplifier's power is dependent on the voltage applied to it and the current
flow it can sustain without breakdown or overheating in the presence of
a normal load. Moreover, these functions must be performed without incurring
any form of perceived distortion. Fortunately, modern electronics makes
it possible to meet these requirements without great expense. For more
on this critical subject, see -
Power
Clipping
Distortion
Peak
Power
Probably the best practical advice that can be given to the prospective amplifier buyer is to select speakers appropriate for the usage and space you intend, and then choose an amplifier that can meet those requirements without stress.
A
LIST OF IMPORTANT PARAMETERS, TOLERANCES AND DEFINITIONS TO TAKE INTO
CONSIDERATION WHEN PURCHASING AN AMPLIFIER
DISTORTION
TOLERANCES
Total
Harmonic Distortion (THD)
Intermodulation
Distortion (IM)
Other Important Measurements And Features
Power Bandwidth
Signal
to Noise ratio (SN)
Sensitivity
Rating
Power
Output Ratings
Bridged
Power
Built-In
Crossover
Bass
Boost Circuit
Mosfet
Output Circuitry
Check
our Easy selection System
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ENCLOSURES:
Theile/Small AMPLIFIERS: About Installing Install Tips Power Ratings RECEIVERS: Installing NEON/LED: Installing TOOLS |
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