I'm close to finishing my design of a 100W+ audio amp. Since this is my first attempt, I'm not entirely sure what to do next. I'd like to get some direction from you experienced people. I've been reading Douglas Self's books "Audio Power Amplifier Design" (5th & 6th editions) as a basic guide. There are a lot of bells and whistles that have been and might be added, but it seems like some of them are overkill for what I'm trying to do -- try out some ideas that have been banging around in my head for decades. There might be a patentable circuit idea in this thing, but I don't really know how to go about looking into it. I've been using LTspice to simulate the circuit, using all commercially available devices. The design has extremely low distortion over the 20Hz-20KHz range. I've simulated all of the circuit conditions I can think of, and the design seems pretty solid. I would appreciate any advice. Alan
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Build it then listen to it.
Then get independent people to listen to it.
Yes, listen with your ears!
Then patent search to find out if it's an old idea.
Have you really re-invented the wheel?
After all these years have you found something new and patentable? Is it revolutionary enough that you can sell it and recoup your investment?
Does it SOUND better?
Then get independent people to listen to it.
Yes, listen with your ears!
Then patent search to find out if it's an old idea.
Have you really re-invented the wheel?
After all these years have you found something new and patentable? Is it revolutionary enough that you can sell it and recoup your investment?
Does it SOUND better?
Amps are already as good as you can get and faithfully reproduce sound so its unlikely to sound better (whatever better means to different people)
I have numerous amps I have designed and they all sound pretty much the same to me. I have designed class B, AB, D using bi-polar, IGBT, lateral mosfet and vertical mosfet.
"Amps are already as good as you can get..."
That's a bold assertion Nigel! As it happens, I agree with you. I have a feeling that amps got about as good as they needed to get around the time of the Quad II and 303.
I sometimes wonder if I should just get myself one of those amps, then put all my components and testgear in a skip - and enjoy the music!
Mike
That's a bold assertion Nigel! As it happens, I agree with you. I have a feeling that amps got about as good as they needed to get around the time of the Quad II and 303.
I sometimes wonder if I should just get myself one of those amps, then put all my components and testgear in a skip - and enjoy the music!
Mike
bimo is right ... trying to get a layout that works to the simulated performance will be tough. Especially as simulators ignore (at the moment) PCB inductances and capacitances, but as IC design sims have done for years, it is time for the usual circuit sims to catch up.
The inductance of even a few cm of power wiring has been enough to cause trouble in the past. Look at several low distortion amp PCB's to get some ideas.
The inductance of even a few cm of power wiring has been enough to cause trouble in the past. Look at several low distortion amp PCB's to get some ideas.
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