Which sound amplifier is better?

Dancing on the playground in front of the dacha, karaoke party with friends, listening to your favorite discs, children's holiday with games to music - the player and computer speakers will clearly not be enough. And what if you have a big good car and you are accustomed to the mood raised by music? The built-in subwoofer seems too primitive and does not give the desired quality. Everything is clear - you need to buy a separate device for power amplification. Which sound amplifier is better? This will be discussed in our article.

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What are the amplifiers?

Having opened the catalog of audio equipment, you will find with some surprise that the amplifier amplifier is different. They differ in many parameters:

• type;
• element base;
• number of channels;
• power;
• distortion factor;
• minimum permissible load;

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Type

The type is determined by the functions that the device must perform. There are only three types:

• preliminary;
• terminal;
• full.

Preliminary

The preamplifier, as the name implies, is designed to prepare a weak sound signal for amplification. Place it next to the sound source. This arrangement is convenient, since it avoids interference.

The preamplifier consists of several blocks:

• switching inputs;
• volume and tone control;
• is a proper amplifier, which allows you to increase signal power.

Important! The preamplifier is used together with the power amplifier.

Terminating

This is a power amplifier. But this device is not only strengthened by power. With its help, the signal is brought to a level. But you can not adjust the signal parameters with such a device.

Complete

It combines the functions of the preamplifier and the end. It is very convenient. As for the price, this device will cost less than a set of preamplifier and the finished amplifier.

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What's inside it?

By what elements are used, the amplifiers are also divided into three types:

• lamp;
• transistor;
• hybrid.

On

lamps If you think which amplifier is better, try to determine for which specific purposes you need it. Lamp technology has a lot of advantages:

• is a relatively simple scheme;
• high quality sound;
• good sound timbre;
• low noise level;
• soft signal limiting;
• resistance to overload;
• simplicity of adjustment;
• resistance to power failure.

True music lovers often choose tube amplifiers. However, such devices have some disadvantages:

• high power consumption;
• heavy weight, as heavy transformers are inside;
• increase in power over 20 watts requires a modification of the circuit with the use of scarce lamps.

Important! With increasing capacity, weight and price inevitably increase.

Devices on transistors

The operation of such amplifiers becomes possible due to the use of bipolar and field effect transistors. Schemes of such devices are more complicated than tube ones. Undoubted advantages include relatively low cost and low weight. If we talk about shortcomings, they are:

• the need for additional protection of the output stages;
• need to protect the power supply.

Important! Now instead of discrete elements in such amplifiers, integrated circuits are often used, which are more compact and easily repaired.

Hybrid

Hybrid devices use both lamps, and integrated circuits or transistors. Such amplifiers combine not only elements, but also advantages and disadvantages of lamp and transistor ones. There are a lot of options, so you can pick up a sound amplifier that perfectly fits your goals.

If you try to determine the merits, you will get a solid list:

• high quality sound and soft timbre, like that of the lamp;
• is relatively light;
• extensive price range;
• is large compared to transistor resistance to power failure.

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How many channels do you need?

The number of channels depends entirely on which speaker system you use. Usually they are from one to six, although the hardware manufacturers are not limited to this - you can find devices with a much larger number of channels. The question is whether you need it.

Single-channel device gives monophonic sound, two channels provide stereo sound.

Important! The maximum quality is obtained if we follow the principle that the number of columns and channels must be equal. In this case, each column has its own personal channel, and each channel has its own column.

The amplifier for music playback must be at least two-channel to reproduce stereo sound. For a home theater, the minimum configuration is 5.1.But there may be more interesting options - in the sale there are also configurations 9.2.The number of channels is specified in the documentation of the device.

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Choosing the power of

An amateur who decides to buy high-quality audio equipment is often lost - what to buy first, and then what? Professionals advise first of all to choose an acoustic system, and then to choose an amplifier to it, depending on its configuration. This order is more convenient, because:

1. It is much easier to choose an amplifier to an existing system than the system to an amplifier.
2. The characteristics of the system can tell you what power the amplifier should have.

In order to choose the power amplifier for power, it is necessary to take into account some very simple considerations:

1. It is not necessary to expect that the highest quality sound will be at the power limit of the amplifier and speaker system. This almost never happens - the best sound is achieved at about 70-75% of the maximum power of the amplifier and about 90% of the system. That is, the amplifier should be about one and a half times more powerful than the rest of the equipment.
2. Do not rely on the maximum value that is specified in the certificates - you need to take into account the nominal, because it provides the specified level of distortion and long-term sound reproduction.
3. Keep in mind the sensitivity of the speaker system, which is measured in decibels: when the sensitivity is reduced by 3 dB, but you want to get a sound of the same volume, the amplifier power should be doubled.

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Distortion factor

Actually, it consists of two coefficients:

• of intermodulation distortion;
• harmonic distortion.

They are expressed as a percentage. Modern high-quality equipment is most often done according to DIN 45500. According to this standard, such distortion parameters are set:

• intermodulation - no more than 3%, frequency band - 250-8000 Hz;
• harmonic - no more than 1%, frequency band - 40-12500 Hz.

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Minimum permissible load

The load impedance of the speaker determines which amplifier power is needed. The smaller it is, the more power is needed. However, it is important and what is the minimum load the column can withstand and does not burn out.

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Signal and noise

The sounds that come out of the amplifying device are not the same. The signal is useful and noisy. Useful - music or speech, for example. Noise - crackling and whistling, which sometimes produces equipment.

Important! This parameter is expressed in decibels. A suitable value for household equipment is 90-100 dB.

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Some tips to

It is generally accepted that the more expensive the hardware, the better. This is not necessarily so. The price does not always determine the quality, but still, it must be taken into account that a good device can not be too cheap. Unless you buy it in a commission store, where the most incredible accidents are possible.

Do not buy equipment where it can not be checked. It makes sense to do this only in one case, if you pre-selected the model and trust the seller.

Important! Take into account also which square you will sound - the approximate power of each channel is calculated per 1 square meter. The best option is 3-5 watts per 1 sq. Km.m

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Connectivity subtleties

Thinking about how to choose an amplifier, be sure to pay attention to the connection to acoustics. At the modern equipment it happens two types:

• on spring fasteners;
• at the terminals.

The second option is more convenient in all respects:

• terminals securely hold cables;
• availability of such fasteners speaks about high quality of equipment.

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Additional features of the

Almost all modern models have a built-in crossover. It is needed to cut low or high frequencies. In fact, this is a system of filters tuned to certain frequency components of the signal. It divides the signal into different frequency bands, directing them to acoustic radiators adapted for this range.

In addition, modern amplification equipment has a smooth adjustment of the cutoff frequency. Many models are equipped with switches that allow multiplying the frequency by 10, 100, etc. This makes it possible to amplify the signal in each channel without using an external crossover.

Important! If you have a high-quality speaker system and you do not need special effects like ultra-low bass, you will not need a crossover.

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How to choose the right amplifier for a car?

In many cases, drivers have a built-in amplifier. However, owners of high-end cars often seek to increase the strength of sound and put an extra column.

In this case, the weight of the equipment does not play a big role. Therefore, you can absolutely buy a tube amplifier, which gives the maximum sound quality.

As for the other parameters, they can be:

• it must be a hybrid - it takes up much less space than the preamplifier and the final amplifier combined;
• power is calculated based on the value of 3 kW per 1 sq. Km.m( 5 kW - it is better for premises, and larger ones);
• as well as in any other case, the amplifier should approach a specific acoustic system;
• connection with acoustics - using terminals;
• distortion factor - for high-end equipment.

Important! When buying, do not forget to look into the certificate, which necessarily indicates the actual power for a particular device with a certain factory number.

Where should I put it?

This is an important issue, because it depends on the size of the device that you choose. The amplifier can be supplied:

• on the back of the rear seat;
• under the seat;
• on the rear shelf;
• in the sub.

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Home Amplifier

You can also house a hybrid device, and two separate ones - it all depends on the size of the room. From the area is considered and power:

• if the area is less than 15 square meters.m, the power is calculated from 3 kW;
• if more than 20 sq.m. - it is necessary to take the number 5.

Important! In this case, it is worth taking care that the signal level at the maximum values ​​does not exceed the pain threshold, otherwise - the music will go to the detriment.

Other characteristics:

• The important point is the distortion. They should be minimal.
• But the frequency range needs a maximum, then the sound quality will be high.
• As for the number of channels, the options may be different. Of course, now there are not many fans of monophonic sound, so one-channel device will hardly suit you.
• Ideal for home - a universal device that can provide good sound when listening to audio recordings, and when sounding movies.

Now we have figured out all the intricacies of this seemingly difficult task. We hope that you could easily figure out which sound amplifier is better and not disappointed in the resulting quality.