hifisonix

Author: bonsai

  • Ovation SCA-1: A high performance fully balanced line pre-amplifier

      Originally published in 2010 Here is the result of my investigation in to a fully balanced high performance, low distortion line pre-amp, the ‘Ovation’ Stereo Control Amplifier One’. I drew some inspiration for this project after reading about the TEAC Esoteric line preamp, which is also based on the TI PGA2320, and received rave reviews…

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  • Tom D Kite Busts Some Audio Myths!

    Ever wondered how we got to ‘feedback is bad’, ‘ . . . sampling destroys the music’  or  ‘ . . .  analog is 40 bits resolution . . .’  ,  ‘we need damping factors of 1000’  and   ‘ . . . only vinyl sounds good’ ?  Tom D Kite PhD, of Audio Precision, takes…

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  • AN-597 Current Feedback Amplifiers

    This National Semiconductor application note was written by Hans Palouda and published in 1989. It explains basic CFA operation clearly and concisely. AN-597 Current Feedback Amplifiers Here are some other useful application notes and articles that may help in developing an understanding of amplifier topologies and their associated trade-offs. wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current-feedback_operational_amplifier EDN https://www.edn.com/design/analog/4458753/In-defense-of-the-current-feedback-amplifier ADI https://www.analog.com/media/en/training-seminars/tutorials/MT-034.pdf TI https://cas.ee.ic.ac.uk/people/dario/files/E416/OA-30.pdf    …

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  • CFA’s: An Intuitive Analysis from Intersil

    This application note from Intersil provides a simple and easy to understand explanation about CFA operation   CFA – An Intuitive Analysis

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  • Feedback Analysis by Marshal Leach

    Here is a short write up by Marshal Leach (RIP) on feedback analysis.   fdbkamps

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  • Small Signal Audio Line Stage Buffer/Headphone Amplifier

    This design, which I completed in 2010, takes an LM4562 and marries it to a hefty single ended class A output stage, which can be biased up for either 50 mA or 110 mA. The output stage is included in the global feedback network and can achieve 1 ppm at 20 kHz  into 600 Ohms…

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  • Stochino Feed Forward Amplifier – Wireless World 1994

    This article decribes a feed forward amplifier concept from Giovanni Stochino.  The design, while novel, is very complicated and delivers about 30 dB in distortion reduction. Stochino Feed Forward.pdf  For an altogether simpler alternative that acheives about 20 dB distortion reduction, take a look at AFEC (‘augmented feedback error correction’) elswhere on this site.

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  • The Quad 405 Current Dumping Amplifier from 1975

      The famous Quad 405 ‘Current Dumping’ amplifier was launched in the mid 1970’s, and featured feed forward error correction that effectively removed the class B cross over distortion that plagues this type of output circuit structure. The design featured no adjustments in production, but the circuit components around the output (L2, R36, R38) had…

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  • Michael Kiwanuka: SOA Protection for Audio Power Amplifiers

    Power Amplifiers, and especially bipolar output designs, require output stage  protection  in the event of a fault, or the presence of a heavy or highly reactive load.  Michael Kiwanuka explains the intricacies and the design methodology in his paper here  soaprot_12-03-2012

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