To help you select an audio amp, I am going to clarify the expression "signal-to-noise ratio" that is frequently utilized in order to explain the performance of audio amplifiers.
When looking for an amplifier, you initially are going to check the cost, wattage amongst other basic criteria. Nonetheless, after this initial choice, you are going to still have quite a few products to choose from. Next you will focus more on a number of of the technical specs, including signal-to-noise ratio and harmonic distortion. Every amp is going to generate a certain level of hiss as well as hum. The signal-to-noise ratio is going to help compute the amount of static produced by the amp.
Comparing the noise level of several amplifiers may be accomplished fairly simply. Simply gather a number of models that you wish to compare and short circuit the inputs. Next put the amplifier gain to maximum and verify the level of hiss by listening to the speaker. By and large you will hear two components. The first is hissing. In addition, you will often hear a hum at 50 or 60 Hz. Both of these are components which are produced by the amplifier itself. Then compare different amplifiers according to the following rule: the smaller the amount of static, the better the noise performance of the amplifier. Yet, keep in mind that you have to put all amps to amplify by the same level to compare several amps.
A lot of of today's amps are based on a digital switching topology. They are known as "class-D" or "class-T" amplifiers. Switching amps include a power stage which is constantly switched at a frequency of around 400 kHz. This switching frequency is also noise which is part of the amplified signal. Nonetheless, recent amplifier specs normally only consider the noise between 20 Hz and 20 kHz.
The most common method for measuring the signal-to-noise ratio is to set the amp to a gain that enables the maximum output swing. After that a test signal is fed to the amplifier. The frequency of this signal is generally 1 kHz. The amplitude of this signal is 60 dB underneath the full scale signal. Next the noise-floor energy is measured in the frequency range between 20 Hz and 20 kHz and compared with the full scale signal energy.
Frequently the signal-to-noise ratio is expressed in a more subjective way as "dbA" or "A weighted". This method attempts to evaluate in how far the amp noise is perceived by human hearing which is most responsive to signals at frequencies at 1 kHz. An A-weighted signal-to-noise ratio weighs the noise floor according to the human hearing and is typically larger than the unweighted signal-to-noise ratio.
When looking for an amplifier, you initially are going to check the cost, wattage amongst other basic criteria. Nonetheless, after this initial choice, you are going to still have quite a few products to choose from. Next you will focus more on a number of of the technical specs, including signal-to-noise ratio and harmonic distortion. Every amp is going to generate a certain level of hiss as well as hum. The signal-to-noise ratio is going to help compute the amount of static produced by the amp.
Comparing the noise level of several amplifiers may be accomplished fairly simply. Simply gather a number of models that you wish to compare and short circuit the inputs. Next put the amplifier gain to maximum and verify the level of hiss by listening to the speaker. By and large you will hear two components. The first is hissing. In addition, you will often hear a hum at 50 or 60 Hz. Both of these are components which are produced by the amplifier itself. Then compare different amplifiers according to the following rule: the smaller the amount of static, the better the noise performance of the amplifier. Yet, keep in mind that you have to put all amps to amplify by the same level to compare several amps.
A lot of of today's amps are based on a digital switching topology. They are known as "class-D" or "class-T" amplifiers. Switching amps include a power stage which is constantly switched at a frequency of around 400 kHz. This switching frequency is also noise which is part of the amplified signal. Nonetheless, recent amplifier specs normally only consider the noise between 20 Hz and 20 kHz.
The most common method for measuring the signal-to-noise ratio is to set the amp to a gain that enables the maximum output swing. After that a test signal is fed to the amplifier. The frequency of this signal is generally 1 kHz. The amplitude of this signal is 60 dB underneath the full scale signal. Next the noise-floor energy is measured in the frequency range between 20 Hz and 20 kHz and compared with the full scale signal energy.
Frequently the signal-to-noise ratio is expressed in a more subjective way as "dbA" or "A weighted". This method attempts to evaluate in how far the amp noise is perceived by human hearing which is most responsive to signals at frequencies at 1 kHz. An A-weighted signal-to-noise ratio weighs the noise floor according to the human hearing and is typically larger than the unweighted signal-to-noise ratio.
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