power effieceny of amplifiers

[sumone 10+ year member]

I've heard class Ts can be up to 80 & 90 percent efficient...well at least that's what avionixx says...

Class T Overview / White PaperWritten by Tripath the company we license some of our technology from this paper may help shed a little more light on why we use the tripath chip in our AXT designs.

 

[ANeonRider 10+ year member]

I wasn't that far off, lol

 

[jujumantb 10+ year member]

Efficiency = Power Made/Power Drawn ...
So if an amplifier makes 1000 watts draws 2000 watts, it would only be 50% efficient ...

Class D amps are 65-85% efficient at full output (and a little less efficient at less than full output).

Class T amps are 60-80% efficient at full output (and a little less efficient at less than full output.) from what I've heard.

Class A/B amps are about 45-65% efficient at full output, but much less efficient at less than full output.

Class A amps are 40-60% efficient at full output, but even less efficient at less than full output.

Class A is usually alot less efficient than 40%

Here is TRU's class A for example

http://www.trutechnology.com/a_class.htm

Efficiency (Class A): 15% @ 4 Ohm RMS

 

[Dragonknell 10+ year member]

lol ****!

(got my AW1500q intoday)

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

Class A amps are 40-60% efficient at full output, but even less efficient at less than full output.

??? I believe they have a maximum of 25% efficiency, and they draw full power at all times because the outputs are always "on". That's why you hardly ever see more than a 25w per channel "true" class A amp, they are **** power hogs.

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

My solid state Class A Premier is much more efficient than 25% at full output ... And I doubt the Class A Soundstream amps were only 25% efficient at full output ...

Measure them?

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

originally posted by werewolf at this link
If I may ... Pure Class A operation requires that the current pulled from the supply does not change as the load, or signal delivered to the load, changes. So a measure of the no-load idle current is a perfectly valid indicator of how much "Class A" power the amp can deliver.

Theoretical, ideal efficiency of Class A is indeed 25%, as thor indicated. BUT, that's for "single-ended" power delivery. A differential or balanced power delivery, where both ends of the load are driven with anti-phase signals, can do better. How much? Well, you will get twice the VOLTAGE to the load, but have to burn twice the POWER to do it. Exercise left to the reader

Werewolf is a very, very smart individual and I don't doubt a word that comes off of his hands (typing). So take the above for what it's worth

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

Now, either Soundstream's amps weren't pure class A like they claim they were or they're more than 25% efficient ...

The A 3.0 & 6.0 weren't true class A's..........

Most companies that claim to have "class A" amps are really just high bias class A/B amps. As noted in the quote from werewolf, idle current draw will tell you the amount of class A power available (since the outputs are on all the time, it will pull full power with no input).