Is it possible to have an efficient SQ amp?
08-13-2004, 06:57 PM
#1
just a pondering, to see if anyone cares, but I was wondering today, is it possible to have an amplifier that is both efficient, and sonically accurate? My theory is Yes, it is, but practically it isn't, because to have the necessary reserve power, you need large amounce of capacitance to have the headroom you need, and you also have to have large amounts of power to supply those caps, and to supply the headroom the amp needs for long periods. These large reserve needs create conditions that harbour inefficiencies.
Thinking of amplifier types, and their associated SQ levels... D class... quite efficient, however, the SQ factor is about the equivalent of a fat suicide bomber with explosive diahrea. AB class is somewhat efficient, but the SQ suffers, especially as the efficiency rises. B class are more efficient than AB, but the SQ is much less appealing, wheras A class is terribly inefficient, but the SQ is wonderful.
Now, I know that there are exceptions to these generalisations, but those are my thoughts... post away. [img]graemlins/bow.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/bow.gif[/img]
Thinking of amplifier types, and their associated SQ levels... D class... quite efficient, however, the SQ factor is about the equivalent of a fat suicide bomber with explosive diahrea. AB class is somewhat efficient, but the SQ suffers, especially as the efficiency rises. B class are more efficient than AB, but the SQ is much less appealing, wheras A class is terribly inefficient, but the SQ is wonderful.
Now, I know that there are exceptions to these generalisations, but those are my thoughts... post away. [img]graemlins/bow.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/bow.gif[/img]
08-13-2004, 07:47 PM
#2
Yankee
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,599
There is no electrical reason that it couldnt be done other than lazyness of the designer or cost of development. Simply figure out how to PROPERLY design a high efficiency/digital/switching power supply. And it will probably need caps and inductors for buffering rather than active buffering.
08-13-2004, 08:06 PM
#3
Originally posted by Sassmaster:
just a pondering, to see if anyone cares, but I was wondering today, is it possible to have an amplifier that is both efficient, and sonically accurate? My theory is Yes, it is, but practically it isn't, because to have the necessary reserve power, you need large amounce of capacitance to have the headroom you need, and you also have to have large amounts of power to supply those caps, and to supply the headroom the amp needs for long periods. These large reserve needs create conditions that harbour inefficiencies.
Thinking of amplifier types, and their associated SQ levels... D class... quite efficient, however, the SQ factor is about the equivalent of a fat suicide bomber with explosive diahrea. AB class is somewhat efficient, but the SQ suffers, especially as the efficiency rises. B class are more efficient than AB, but the SQ is much less appealing, wheras A class is terribly inefficient, but the SQ is wonderful.
Now, I know that there are exceptions to these generalisations, but those are my thoughts... post away. [img]graemlins/bow.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/bow.gif[/img]
just a pondering, to see if anyone cares, but I was wondering today, is it possible to have an amplifier that is both efficient, and sonically accurate? My theory is Yes, it is, but practically it isn't, because to have the necessary reserve power, you need large amounce of capacitance to have the headroom you need, and you also have to have large amounts of power to supply those caps, and to supply the headroom the amp needs for long periods. These large reserve needs create conditions that harbour inefficiencies.
Thinking of amplifier types, and their associated SQ levels... D class... quite efficient, however, the SQ factor is about the equivalent of a fat suicide bomber with explosive diahrea. AB class is somewhat efficient, but the SQ suffers, especially as the efficiency rises. B class are more efficient than AB, but the SQ is much less appealing, wheras A class is terribly inefficient, but the SQ is wonderful.
Now, I know that there are exceptions to these generalisations, but those are my thoughts... post away. [img]graemlins/bow.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/bow.gif[/img]
08-14-2004, 05:11 PM
#4
1000 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,239
I smell a gainclone
They sound so sweet.
I can hear the difference. Way more detail.
JohnVroom,
If I was confident enuf to build a PS, I`d be building hords of stuff for the car.
PS`s for home audio are simple. After that, the amp section is a breeze.
Surely you`ve seen one of these..
http://www.decdun.fsnet.co.uk/gcg/gcrw6.jpg
http://cache.national.com/ds/LM/LM3875.pdf
Thoughts?
[ August 14, 2004, 06:22 PM: Message edited by: Seahag ]
They sound so sweet.
I can hear the difference. Way more detail.
JohnVroom,
If I was confident enuf to build a PS, I`d be building hords of stuff for the car.
PS`s for home audio are simple. After that, the amp section is a breeze.
Surely you`ve seen one of these..
http://www.decdun.fsnet.co.uk/gcg/gcrw6.jpg
http://cache.national.com/ds/LM/LM3875.pdf
Thoughts?
[ August 14, 2004, 06:22 PM: Message edited by: Seahag ]
08-15-2004, 03:49 PM
#5
Yankee
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,599
Yaknow back in the day (early 1980's) Bob Carver was making a power amp the shape of a cube. It was cool running and was considered decent (I would call it mid-fi market akin to Bose today and then). It was revolutionary it looked cool and ran cool. I don’t see folk dying to get their hands on vintage carver cubes like they do the old Phase Linear stuff (Bob Carvers old company) or old Audio Research or Marantz stuff.
As I recall the old cube was a glorified mag-amp and I never spent the time to listen to the product (I felt the design to be wrong for audio). Now I wonder if the mag-amp might be a player for a power supply... just a thought. Real similar to some of the products out there now but just a little different.
Seahag I will look at the .pdf when I am ready to put on my thinking hat... )LOL
As I recall the old cube was a glorified mag-amp and I never spent the time to listen to the product (I felt the design to be wrong for audio). Now I wonder if the mag-amp might be a player for a power supply... just a thought. Real similar to some of the products out there now but just a little different.
Seahag I will look at the .pdf when I am ready to put on my thinking hat... )LOL
08-15-2004, 06:34 PM
#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
and that 9" cube made well over 400 watts, plus you could run it at almost any impedence.
My dad still has one, it's an M-400
Buddy I used to work with has a pair of Carver Mt1500 amps, one each bridged to his platinum towers, the speakers sucked but the 1500/channel was something to listen too.
My dad still has one, it's an M-400
Buddy I used to work with has a pair of Carver Mt1500 amps, one each bridged to his platinum towers, the speakers sucked but the 1500/channel was something to listen too.
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