SMPS for Class D amps means not possible?

[eem2am]

A Class D amplifier is similar to a switching power supply.

Supposing a new company in UK or Europe or USA set out to make Class D amplifiers supplied by SMPS.

Then can you agree that this is simply not possible?


After all, it is simply not possible to start an SMPS company anywhere in the world outside of the Far East.

So how could it be possible to start a company that makes Class-D-amplifiers-powered-by-SMPS's outside of the Far East?

Labour costs are simply too high outside of the Far East for it to be possible to design and manufacture SMPS's

Also, the Far Eastern mentality of fantastic dedication coupled with workaholicism which is necessary in switching amp/PSU industry means that a Western company simply cannot compete in the design and manufacture of SMPS.

So why are Western companies now starting to try to design and manufacture Class-D-amplifiers-powered-by-SMPS's ?

-they will never be able to compete with the Far East.

[Pano]

You might want to look up Icepower amps.

[firechief]

Perhaps we in the west should concentrate on product design, besides its more fun. We darn westerners have all of the fun, besides it pays better.

[Saturnus]

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. Most class-D amps are designed in the West, and then manufactured in the East, combining the strengths of both hemispheres.

[eem2am]

OK Thanks,

I can assure you that in UK, there are virtually no SMPS design and manufacture companies.....apart from a few very small ones, which are mostly in Military sector, since for obvious reasons, that sometimes has to be done close to home.

Icepowers 250ASX2 costs $499................

BO ICEPower 250 ASX-2 Bare Module

...realistically speaking, you could not put that into a guitar amplifier and hope to compete with something from the Far East.

Also, SMPS/Amplifier combo modules are too inflexible for general design of Class D guitar amplifier products.......you need a separate SMPS unit.........to which you can attach any one of your Class D designs.....depending on the particular amplifier product requirement......combo modules are just too inflexible for guitar usage.

Besides...what if icepower suddenly stop making a certain power supply/amp module that you are putting in your product?.........thats big problems.

The Far East is the centre of SMPS DESIGN in the world....especially Japan...but more so in China now, as well as India which is getting into design too.

I am afraid western companies that try to compete with the Far East by designing and building Class-D-Amplifiers-supplied-by-SMPS's (i mean the whole product, not just the Class D/SMPS PCB) will not survive..........

......Just look at Flat screen televisions.............

......Not one single western company exists in this field........almost all are Japanese (Panasonic, Sony, Hitachi)...........with some Korean (Samsung), and one is Turkish (LG)

If Western companies cannot compete in terms of televisions, then why are guitar amplifier products different.?

[AudioSan]

how the hell is SMPS different from anything else?
and SMPS is produced in europe.

[AudioSan]

Originally Posted by eem2am

OK Thanks,

I can assure you that in UK, there are virtually no SMPS design and manufacture companies.....apart from a few very small ones, which are mostly in Military sector, since for obvious reasons, that sometimes has to be done close to home.

Icepowers 250ASX2 costs $499................

BO ICEPower 250 ASX-2 Bare Module

...realistically speaking, you could not put that into a guitar amplifier and hope to compete with something from the Far East.

Also, SMPS/Amplifier combo modules are too inflexible for general design of Class D guitar amplifier products.......you need a separate SMPS unit.........to which you can attach any one of your Class D designs.....depending on the particular amplifier product requirement......combo modules are just too inflexible for guitar usage.

Besides...what if icepower suddenly stop making a certain power supply/amp module that you are putting in your product?.........thats big problems.

The Far East is the centre of SMPS DESIGN in the world....especially Japan...but more so in China now, as well as India which is getting into design too.

I am afraid western companies that try to compete with the Far East by designing and building Class-D-Amplifiers-supplied-by-SMPS's (i mean the whole product, not just the Class D/SMPS PCB) will not survive..........

......Just look at Flat screen televisions.............

......Not one single western company exists in this field........almost all are Japanese (Panasonic, Sony, Hitachi)...........with some Korean (Samsung), and one is Turkish (LG)

If Western companies cannot compete in terms of televisions, then why are guitar amplifier products different.?

you now that europe stretch beound UK?

[AudioSan]

Originally Posted by eem2am

A Class D amplifier is similar to a switching power supply.

Supposing a new company in UK or Europe or USA set out to make Class D amplifiers supplied by SMPS.

Then can you agree that this is simply not possible?

it's done evere day!

[eem2am]

Yes, -There are certain non-Far Eastern companies (eg Vicor) which design and build SMPS.....I agree, but.....

....these are heavily funded by the taxpayer in order to make them competitve with Far Eastern Equivalents.

Western governments do not want to loose all contact with Electronics design and Manufacture, so they provide funding for certain industries in this field....

...for example, take Tridonic......a huge Austrian lighting company, heavily in receipt of goverment funding, because low-and-behold, what would become of the West if we could not even light up our own homes and factories with our own lights?

Tridonics lighting products could not otherwise hope to compete with super cheap Chinese imports.

However, Western governments are not inclined to thinking that guitar amplifiers are so crucial to everyday life that they should receive some of this lovely government funding.........so there is no way that designers and manufacturers of Class-D-Amplifiers-supplied-by-SMPS's in the West will be able to compete with Far Eastern competition.

[AudioSan]

Originally Posted by AudioSan

how the hell is SMPS different from anything else?
and SMPS is produced in europe.

i say it agein.