The main performance indicators of power amplifiers include output power, frequency response, distortion, signal-to-noise ratio, output impedance, damping coefficient, etc.
Output power
Output power: The unit is W. Due to different measurement methods of various manufacturers, there are some different names. For example, rated output power, maximum output power, music output power, and peak music output power.
Music power
Music power: refers to the instantaneous maximum output power of the power amplifier to the music signal under the condition that the output distortion does not exceed the specified value.
Peak power
Peak power: refers to the maximum music power that the power amplifier can output when the volume of the power amplifier is adjusted to the maximum without distortion.
Rated output power
Rated output power: The average output power when the harmonic distortion is 10%. Also known as the maximum useful power. Generally speaking, the peak power is greater than the music power, and the music power is greater than the rated power. Generally speaking, the peak power is 5-8 times the rated power.
Frequency response
Frequency response: Indicates the frequency range of the power amplifier and the unevenness within the frequency range. The flatness of the frequency response curve is generally expressed in decibels (db). The frequency response of a home HI-FI amplifier is generally 20Hz--20KHZ plus or minus 1db. The wider this range, the better. The frequency response of some top-quality amplifiers has reached 0--100KHZ.
Distortion
Distortion: The ideal amplifier should amplify the input signal and faithfully restore it without any change. However, due to various reasons, the signal amplified by the amplifier is often distorted to varying degrees compared with the input signal. This distortion is distortion. Expressed as a percentage, the smaller the value, the better. The total distortion of a HI-FI amplifier is between 0.03%--0.05%. The distortion of the amplifier includes harmonic distortion, intermodulation distortion, crossover distortion, clipping distortion, transient distortion, transient intermodulation distortion, etc.
Signal-to-noise ratio
Signal-to-noise ratio: refers to the ratio of the signal level to the various noise levels output by the amplifier, expressed in db, the larger the value, the better. The signal-to-noise ratio of a general home HI-FI amplifier is above 60db.
Output impedance
Output impedance: The equivalent internal resistance presented to the speaker is called output impedance.
The good performance indicators of an amplifier do not necessarily prove good sound quality, which is something that beginners must realize. This is also what many audiophiles are struggling to explore and pursue.
