Sunday 8 December 2013

Unique Content Article on speakers,internet,computers,hardware,music,tv set,radio,technology,shopping,product reviews

The Best Places To Find A Good Bargain On Stereo Amps


by Mike Heller


I will look at a few audio amplifiers and describe some basic terminology to aid you select the ideal amplifier for your loudspeakers

Audio amps appear in all different shapes and sizes. They employ different technologies and have numerous technical specs. On the other hand, you don't have to be an expert to choose the best type. By following some essential rules you won't regret your purchasing decision.

One vital criterion is the size of the amplifier. You can purchase models which can fill half a room. In contrast, a number of of the latest miniature amp types are no bigger than a deck of cards. A large number of amplifiers are the size of a regular rack. This permits your amplifier to be stacked on top of your other audio devices.

Harmonic distortion of tube amplifiers is frequently as high as 10%. Solid-state amplifiers will have less audio distortion. Still, distortion will depend on the particular audio amplifier technology. The most traditional amplifiers employ a "Class-A" and "Class-AB" technology. These amps are also called "analog amplifiers". This technology offers relatively low audio distortion. However, the power efficiency is only 10 to 30%. This means that the majority of the electrical power supplied to the amp is wasted as heat whereas a small fraction is utilized to amplify the audio signal.

In comparison, "Class-D" amplifiers which are also known as "digital amplifiers" offer a power efficiency of normally 80 to 90%. This permits the amplifier and power supply to be made a good deal smaller than analog amplifiers. The tradeoff is that digital amps regularly have larger audio distortion than analog amplifiers. This is for the most part a consequence of the switching distortion of the output power stage. Most recent digital audio amplifiers, on the other hand, employ a feedback mechanism and can minimize the audio distortion to below 0.05%.

In comparison, "Class-D" amps which are also named "digital amplifiers" offer a power efficiency of generally 80 to 90%. This permits the amplifier and power supply to be made a good deal smaller than analog amplifiers. As a consequence of the switching output stage, digital amplifiers usually have higher harmonic distortion than analog amplifiers. On the other hand, some of the most recent models are able to lower distortion to 0.05% and less by utilizing a feedback mechanism. When picking an amplifier, ensure that the output power is adequate to drive your speakers. The needed power will be determined by how much power your loudspeakers can tolerate as well as the size of your room where you will be listening. There are two values for speaker power handling: peak and average power handling. The peak value indicates how much power the speaker can tolerate for short periods of time. The average value on the other hand denotes how much power the loudspeaker can tolerate constantly without harm.

If you have a relatively small listening area then 20 to 50 Watts of power should be enough despite the fact that your speaker may be rated for 100 Watts or more. Notice however that speakers vary in their sensitivity. Typically a low-impedance speaker will be simpler to drive to high volume than a high-impedance loudspeaker. Be sure that your amp can drive your speaker impedance. You can without difficulty find the rated speaker impedance range in your amplifier's user manual.

Two other key parameters to look at when choosing an amp are signal-to-noise ratio and frequency response. Signal-to-noise ratio describes how much noise the amp will generate and should be no less than 100 dB for a high-quality amplifier. The frequency response indicates which audio frequency range the amp covers and should be at least 20 Hz to 20 kHz.




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