Regulated vs. Traditional

[alvaius]

Always keep in mind that a regulator is essentially a single ended amplifier. Most regulators are only pull, not push-pull though. As SAM-9 said, you now have two feedback loops to deal with. Many low current regulators are designed with quite high bandwidths, outside the audio range. Some of the higher current ones are not. Some regulators also have lots of feedback, and others have very little (and heck, a Zener and a pass-FET has as little as you can get).

So, the answer is not as easy as which is better. The design of lower current regulators coupled with the low current draw of pre-amps often makes for the best combination. However, when you get into a power stage, there may be no benefit.

Alvaius

[HuntTheShunt]

Does not this statement imply that for ClassA power amps full regulation is the best option?

qoute:-
The voltage section of the power amplifier runs in pure class A, hence drawing constant currents; since it amplifies voltages, its current requirements are both fixed and low. On the other hand, voltage gain stages should have no idea what kind of load is being driven, and they introduce voltage drops over every stage, thus forcing us to increase power supply lines in order to realize the full potential of the amp.
So, we could - and I believe should, always! - use full regulation for supply lines to our voltage amplifier stages.
end quote.
from http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/ssps1_e.html

[sam9]

Does not this statement imply that for ClassA power amps full regulation is the best option?

I think yhat applies if you limit your discussion to single-ended class A. Some people may tend to assume that the class A always implies single -ended because that is a popular configuration. A dual rail class A would behave a lot like a class AB except for the output section, and thus have the potential to be fairly isolated from power supply noise, etc.

[HuntTheShunt]

Mind you what this person calls regulated may not be what you mean.

I suppose fully regulated means zeners or transistors used clip a high voltage down to a lower voltage and thus supply a regulated power supply.

Were he is just using full smoothing.

Or have I got it all wrong?