Can AV amplifiers be used instead of HIFI amplifiers? what's the difference

Can AV amplifiers be used instead of HIFI amplifiers? what's the difference

AV power amplifier and HIFI power amplifier are the two most common devices in the speaker equipment market. For many novice users, they may not be able to tell what is an AV power amplifier and what is a HIFI power amplifier. Then how to choose the power amplifier that they need? ? Don't worry, today, the author will tell you the difference between the two.

What is AV power amplifier, HIFI power amplifier

The A (audio) of the AV power amplifier means audio and sound, and the V (video) means audio and images. Therefore, the AV power amplifier is an audio-visual amplifier that combines audio and video signal processing. It emphasizes the atmosphere of the sound field and is specially used for home theaters. .

The Hi-Fi of the HIFI power amplifier is the abbreviation of English Hight-Fidelity, literally translated as high fidelity, which requires the audio equipment to amplify and process the various indicators of the sound signal without distortion during the playback process, so as to restore the original appearance of the sound source , the emphasis is on the original flavor, which is specially used for enjoying music.

The difference between AV power amplifier and HIFI power amplifier

The former is mainly used in the field of home theater and requires audio + video equipment, while the latter only needs to provide audio equipment and focus on enjoying music. Besides, what is the difference between AV power amplifier and HIFI power amplifier? Let's continue reading.

1. The number of channels is different

There are 4-9 channels of AV amplifiers, which drive multiple speakers to form a surround sound field. For example, Dolby AC-3 requires 5.1 channels. The Hi-Fi power amplifier generally has two channels when playing sound, that is, amplifies the signals of the left and right channels, and drives the left and right two sets of speakers, thus forming a stereo sound field.

2. Different parameters and indicators

The parameters of the AV power amplifier mainly include output power, harmonic distortion, signal-to-noise ratio, frequency range, rated impedance and damping coefficient, etc., especially emphasizing the channel isolation, delay time range, various sound field modes and other indicators, and also More metrics about the video section. Although the Hi-Fi power amplifier also has these parameters, it emphasizes harmonic distortion and signal-to-noise ratio.

3. The sound atmosphere is different

The main design purpose of the AV power amplifier is to create a sound field, emphasizing the sense of direction of the sound and simulating the atmosphere of the listening environment. Hi-Fi power amplifiers are mostly designed with high fidelity in the way of sound reproduction, focusing on amplifying the signal from the signal source in an authentic way, mainly for enjoying music, human voice, etc., and pursuing the real effect of sound.

Can the AV power amplifier be used as a HIFI power amplifier?

The AV power amplifier brings together audio + video signal processing amplifiers, while the HIFI power amplifier only has an audio amplifier, but if we replace the HIFI power amplifier with an AV power amplifier, the following situations will occur:

1. The power of the AV amplifier is insufficient when playing music with a large dynamic range

The output power of the AV amplifier in the two-channel state is greater than that in the four-channel state. At this time, if you choose music with a large dynamic range for trial listening, you will obviously feel powerless. The Hi-Fi power amplifier appears to be unhurried.

2. AV power amplifier wiring affects sound quality

The AV amplifier is equipped with a variety of video and audio ports, and is connected to multiple groups of audio and video signal sources, resulting in many and complicated signal wiring, which easily causes mutual interference of signals. The original rich high-frequency components of high-quality signal sources are attenuated or interfered, so that the listener cannot appreciate the high-fidelity effect.

3. The fluorescent screen of the AV power amplifier will interfere with the sound quality

There is a large fluorescent display on the panel of the AV power amplifier, and the characters are displayed under the drive of the pulse signal, which will radiate a lot of electromagnetic interference to the surroundings, which will obviously affect the sound quality.

Although AV power amplifiers cannot replace HIFI power amplifiers, it doesn’t have to be so serious. If your requirements for sound quality are not too high, AV power amplifiers can also be used as HIFI power amplifiers. For example, Onkyo’s AV power amplifiers are recognized in the industry as both It can be used in home theater, and can also be used in power amplifier equipment for music appreciation. Of course, the final effect is not so ideal compared to professional HIFI amplifiers.