Light fantastic
“The P1 power amplifier requires a super clean high current power supply to turn the low voltage line level music signal into hundreds of watts of output power. To do this, Siltech designed the Apollo Light Drive. A super-strong AC-powered light source is used to drive a photo-electric cell, giving a totally noise-free, galvanically isolated DC output. This then drives the amplifier’s output stage, keeping it absolutely immune from mains-born distortion. The idea behind this is not new, but its execution in a high powered amplifier is extremely challenging. The result is ultra-clean, low distortion power – and lots of it.”
Has anyone tried DIYing this concept?
https://www.siltechcables.com/saga-amplifier-system/
PV cells (and LEDs) are what, 26% efficient, at best? Hundreds of watts of audio, thousands of watts of heat. Worse things have been tried.
What they forget is that any noise or hum on the light supply is transferred to the photo-electric cell.
So it boils down to designing a noise- and hum free lamp supply.
If you have that, you can skip the light stuff and use that super noise/hum free supply to directly drive the amp, saving you lots of money and headaches with no penalty.
But it's a great marketing concept and as such may well be worth the cost - to the manufacturer.
Jan
So it boils down to designing a noise- and hum free lamp supply.
If you have that, you can skip the light stuff and use that super noise/hum free supply to directly drive the amp, saving you lots of money and headaches with no penalty.
But it's a great marketing concept and as such may well be worth the cost - to the manufacturer.
Jan
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Want to make the light source “clean”, providing noise free DC at the PV cell? Use an incandescent light bulb. Let’s drop the efficiency even MORE. It will make a 200W SET using 811’s look green by comparison. Not to mention the 200 hour life of typical projection lamps…..