What factors should be paid attention to when purchasing a high-quality power amplifier?

What factors should be paid attention to when purchasing a high-quality power amplifier?

The power amplifier is the largest family of all kinds of audio equipment. Its main function is to amplify the weaker signal input by the audio equipment, and then generate a large enough current to drive the speaker to reproduce the sound. Due to the consideration of power, impedance, distortion, dynamics, and different use ranges and control adjustment functions, different amplifiers have different internal signal processing, circuit design and production processes.

First, check whether the interface is complete

The most basic input and output interfaces that an AV power amplifier should have should include the following: coaxial, optical fiber, and RCA multi-channel input interfaces for inputting digital or analog audio signals; speaker output interfaces for outputting signals to speakers.

The second is to see whether the surround sound format is complete

The popular surround sound formats mainly include DD and DTS, both of which are 5.1 channels. Now these two formats have been developed to DD EX and DTS ES, both are 6.1 channels.

The third is to see if the power of all channels is individually adjustable

Some cheap power amplifiers divide the two-channel into five channels. If the channel is large, it will be a big one, and if it is small, it will be a small one. However, each channel of a truly qualified AV power amplifier can be adjusted separately.

Fourth, look at the weight of the power amplifier

Generally speaking, you should try to choose a heavier model. The reason is that the power supply part of the heavier equipment is stronger first, and most of the weight of the power amplifier comes from the power supply and the chassis. The heavier the equipment, it means that the transformer it uses has a higher value. Larger capacitors, or the use of larger capacitors, are ways to improve the quality of the amplifier. The second is that the chassis is heavy. The material and weight of the chassis have a certain degree of influence on the sound. The chassis made of certain materials is helpful to isolate the circuit inside the chassis from the radio waves that spread outside. The weight of the chassis is higher or the structure is more stable, which can also prevent the equipment from being affected by unnecessary vibrations and affecting the sound. The third is a heavier power amplifier, and the materials are usually richer and more solid.

Power is the most important parameter in the audio system, indicating the ability of the audio system to carry the load. This is also the first place we should pay attention to when buying. However, if each manufacturer uses their own different measurement benchmarks to mark product performance, it is often difficult to make an objective comparison without sufficient understanding.

The same is true for power amplifiers. When checking the logo of power amplifier power, you should pay attention to the following three points:

One, the battery voltage.

The voltage of the car battery is constantly changing. For the two commonly used labels: 14.4V/100W and 12V/100W power amplifiers are completely different power specifications. Since the voltage of the car during driving is basically around 12V, the power value measured under the 12V voltage state is closer to the real situation. Moreover, the power amplifier whose power is marked based on the continuous voltage of 12V can achieve greater power when it reaches 12V or more.

Second, the harmonic distortion rate THD.

When comparing the continuous output power of the power amplifier, it needs to be carried out under the same (or relatively close) THD value. The difference in sound quality tested under different THD values is very obvious. Sometimes the maximum power of the label is very high, but it is very likely that its distortion and noise are also high. Therefore, you should also pay attention to the THD value marked while checking the maximum power.

Third, the frequency range.

The continuous power output of the power amplifier should be tested within the frequency range of its actual use. For the power of the power amplifier, the complete detection range should be marked, and the power value is meaningless when only a certain frequency is marked. After determining the same benchmark, we can compare power amplifier power. Generally speaking, the principle of high power output is generally followed when purchasing a sound system. The greater the output power of the power amplifier, the stronger their ability to drive the speaker is. The power of the power amplifier should be greater than the indicated power of the speaker. If the selected power is too small, it is easy to burn out when using high-power output for a long time, and it will also cause poor sound quality, distortion and other faults.