I'm thinking specifically of how the BA-3 front end can also be used as the core of a preamp. Is this usually the case, at least in principle if not practicality? More generally, would it be beneficial to remove this double gain and make either the preamp or power amp input passive, to reduce the total number of gain stages?
That's done in some integrated amplifiers (little or no gain in the line stage). Most preamps today
need little to no gain. A commercial power amplifier has to reach full output with the nominal 2V level
of a typical digital source.
need little to no gain. A commercial power amplifier has to reach full output with the nominal 2V level
of a typical digital source.
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In most amplifiers there is global negative feedback to reduce distortion, reduce output impedance, provide a thermal control loop for the output stage and guarantee gain matching between channels. In these cases the front-end of the amplifier plays the crucial role of being the feedback error amplifier and it is very much integral and can't be thought of quite as simply as being the same as a preamp gain stage.
