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Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Karl Winkler
12/06/11 01:42 PM,
Some time ago I was on a trip to Japan, visiting some key customers, and I picked up on something that has been brewing in the back of my mind ever since. Maybe the light bulb went on because I was in a different country with a different culture, but here was the thing… I was asked several times by several people: “what’s the maximum number of channels your wireless system can operate simultaneously?” That’s when the “something” in the…
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Thursday, September 08, 2011
Pat Brown
09/08/11 02:23 PM,
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How much power can an audio amplifier produce? As you might expect, “it depends.” I will approach this from two angles - in theory and in practice. This article will deal with the theory. Part 3 will show how things play out in the real world. Importance Of Efficiency Amplifiers don’t make power. They convert it. Any audio power that comes from your amplifier must in turn come from the utility outlet that it is connected to. This is why…
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Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Pat Brown
09/06/11 04:09 PM,
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In audio terms, high voltage means that the output power of the amplifier is converted to a high-voltage/low-current signal for transmission over long distances and/or small wire gauges. The advantages of the method include low cost and rather “bulletproof” systems, and the downside is that the transformers required present yet another filter for the signal to pass through, often degrading the audio quality. Since loudspeaker lines should always be kept as short as possible, the ultimate realization of this involves…
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Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Bruce Bartlett
07/20/11 10:11 AM,
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As audio professionals, the more we understand what’s under the hood of modern power amplifiers, the better we can make a wise buying decision. What are the main sections or parts of a power amp? Every power amplifier includes a power supply, an input stage, and an output stage. Most amps also have protection mechanisms; some have DSP, and a few have networking capability. Let’s explain each feature… Power Supply Basically, a power amplifier uses the input signal to modulate…
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Thursday, July 14, 2011
Bruce Bartlett
07/14/11 03:24 PM,
A client wants to play folk music in a coffee shop. How much amplifier power is needed? A rock group will be playing in a 2,000-seat concert hall. How many watts will you need to provide? A jazz-fusion group bought some loudspeakers, and want to play them as loud as they can get without blowing them up. Which amplifier should you recommend? Questions such as these arise in any sound system design. To help you specify an optimum amount of…
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Wednesday, July 06, 2011
PSW Staff
07/06/11 09:24 AM,

4 Comments
This calculator provides the required electrical power (power output from the amplifier) to produce a desired Sound Pressure Level (SPL) at a given distance, along with an amount of headroom to keep the amplifier(s) out of clip. Example: You are designing a system where the farthest listening position from the loudspeaker is 100 meters, and the desired Sound Pressure Level is 85 dB SPL. The loudspeaker chosen for the job has a sensitivity rating of 95 dB. With the minimum…
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Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Jeff Kuells
06/29/11 02:24 PM,
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I felt the need to write this article after a recent cross-country trip, and I’m pretty sure many of you can relate to my experience. At a newer, modern airport, I was waiting to board a connecting flight, and everything appeared to be going as planned until the departure time suddenly changed on the monitor - a one hour delay. However, I never learned the reason for the delay, because the gate attendant making the announcement either had the mic…
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PSW Staff
06/29/11 02:06 PM,
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This calculation will give you the ratio, in decibels, between two power values.
For example, you can calculate the difference in dB between to amplifiers with different power output specifications.
Enter any two values and press “Calculate” for the remaining value. Press “Reset” before performing each calculation.
Equation used to calculate the data:
dB = 10 * Log(Pout / Pin)
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Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Mark Frink
06/21/11 08:44 AM,
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Most modern power amplifier designs have abandoned traditional “linear” power transformer-based supplies in favor of digital switching supplies, shedding about half their weight in the process, getting into the range of 10 kilos or 22 pounds. Nearly all amps are two “rack spaces” high for a total of 3.5 inches in a standard 19-inch wide equipment rack, with depths ranging from roughly 10 to 20 inches. Various circuit designs have emerged over the years. Class AB designs provide low distortion…
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Thursday, June 02, 2011
Live Sound Staff
06/02/11 10:06 AM,
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Until fairly recently, the audio power amplifier was almost as synonymous for excessive heat and weight as for its primary application. This reputation was the result of early inefficient output stages. Early designs dissipated most of the power drawn from the wall as heat, which then had to be sucked away from internal electronics with large metal heat sinks. Amplifiers have never enjoyed a reputation for being particularly sexy, being largely black boxes sporting a couple of big rotary dials…
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