Audio amplifiers are available in a flood of different technologies and models. Choosing the perfect model for a particular application seems to be a daunting task. I will explain some basic amplifier terms and help you pick the best model no matter what your particular application might be.
Even though some audio sources have already a built-in amplifier, a separate amplifier gives you more flexibility for picking the model that best complements your speakers. There are some mini amplifier models available. These models are small enough to hide virtually anywhere.
Output wattage is one of the factors that most people will consider first when selecting an amplifier since driving low-sensitivity speakers or driving speakers in large rooms or outdoors requires fairly high wattage. However, be careful not to overdrive your speakers. This can damage your speakers beyond repair.
However, amplifier wattage is not everything. Good sound quality is probably more important than raw power. A 20 to 50 Watt amp should be sufficient for most real-world applications.
Amplifier output power is given as Watts rms (continuous) and Watts peak. The rms or continuous value tells you how much power the amplifier can deliver continuously while the peak power figure tells the maximum wattage that the amplifier can deliver for short periods of time. Most people will look at the rms power value when selecting an amplifier. However, music signals are anything but continuous. Therefore picking an amp that has sufficient peak power handling is just as important.
Audio quality is just as important as having enough audio power and therefore you should also look at figures such as total harmonic distortion or THD. No amplifier is perfect. There will be some amount of signal distortion which is caused by the amplifier. The amount of distortion is expressed in percent or dB. A smaller distortion number means a lower distortion of the audio signal by the amplifier. The amount of distortion will be less than 0.05% for a high-quality amplifier. Consumer type amplifiers have higher distortion figures. Typical figures are up to 10% depending on the output power.
Another figure related to audio quality is known as signal-to-noise ratio and describes the amount of unwanted noise the amplifier will add to the signal. Higher-end amplifiers will achieve a signal-to-noise ratio of at least 100 dB while consumer grade amplifiers will typically have a signal ratio of at least 80 dB.
There are several amplifier technologies available. Today's amplifiers are mostly Class-D amplifiers. Class-D amplifiers have a high power efficiency and waste little energy as heat. High power efficiency has led to the development of very small amplifiers. Some of these latest mini amplifiers are no bigger than a deck of cards. Class-D type amplifiers often have higher distortion and a lower signal-to-noise ratio than Class-A or Class-AB amplifiers. Some latest digital amplifier models, however, come very close to the audio quality of analog amps. Make certain that the amp has low distortion and a high SNR if you pick a Class-D amp.
Even though some audio sources have already a built-in amplifier, a separate amplifier gives you more flexibility for picking the model that best complements your speakers. There are some mini amplifier models available. These models are small enough to hide virtually anywhere.
Output wattage is one of the factors that most people will consider first when selecting an amplifier since driving low-sensitivity speakers or driving speakers in large rooms or outdoors requires fairly high wattage. However, be careful not to overdrive your speakers. This can damage your speakers beyond repair.
However, amplifier wattage is not everything. Good sound quality is probably more important than raw power. A 20 to 50 Watt amp should be sufficient for most real-world applications.
Amplifier output power is given as Watts rms (continuous) and Watts peak. The rms or continuous value tells you how much power the amplifier can deliver continuously while the peak power figure tells the maximum wattage that the amplifier can deliver for short periods of time. Most people will look at the rms power value when selecting an amplifier. However, music signals are anything but continuous. Therefore picking an amp that has sufficient peak power handling is just as important.
Audio quality is just as important as having enough audio power and therefore you should also look at figures such as total harmonic distortion or THD. No amplifier is perfect. There will be some amount of signal distortion which is caused by the amplifier. The amount of distortion is expressed in percent or dB. A smaller distortion number means a lower distortion of the audio signal by the amplifier. The amount of distortion will be less than 0.05% for a high-quality amplifier. Consumer type amplifiers have higher distortion figures. Typical figures are up to 10% depending on the output power.
Another figure related to audio quality is known as signal-to-noise ratio and describes the amount of unwanted noise the amplifier will add to the signal. Higher-end amplifiers will achieve a signal-to-noise ratio of at least 100 dB while consumer grade amplifiers will typically have a signal ratio of at least 80 dB.
There are several amplifier technologies available. Today's amplifiers are mostly Class-D amplifiers. Class-D amplifiers have a high power efficiency and waste little energy as heat. High power efficiency has led to the development of very small amplifiers. Some of these latest mini amplifiers are no bigger than a deck of cards. Class-D type amplifiers often have higher distortion and a lower signal-to-noise ratio than Class-A or Class-AB amplifiers. Some latest digital amplifier models, however, come very close to the audio quality of analog amps. Make certain that the amp has low distortion and a high SNR if you pick a Class-D amp.
About the Author:
Gunter Fellbaum has been designing audio and electronic products for over a decade. You can find further information regarding t-amp models and stereo amplifiers from Amphony's website.
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