Amplification: what are the biggest advances of the last 40 years?


As an audiophile most of my adult life but without any engineering expertise, I wonder how amplification has advanced since I started in this hobby as a high school student in the eighties?

Specifically, what has advanced the state of the art and what, specifically, make newer products sound "better" than older ones?

Is it that circuit design has advanced so much?  Or is the bigger difference parts quality and the technology leading to these better parts?

And please, none of the banal "it all matters" comments.  What I'm asking: which of the above matters the most?


bobbydd

Showing 1 response by anders65

I would say that the improvements in manufacturing processes for semiconductors makes it much easier today to develop great amplifiers. Regardless if it is a Class A, Class AB or Class D amplifier.

Several advanced spice simulation tools now are available for free. This together with low cost high performance PCs makes it possible to perform simulations on amplifier circuits by anyone who want to learn this. Even if simulations do not tell the whole truth, it is a powerful tool when developing innovative amplifier solutions. I use such tools extensively when developing new type of amplifier solutions.

Advanced audio measurement software using relatively low cost hardware is now available. This makes it easier for startups to develop great amplifiers.

Internet makes it possible for anyone to access research articles and exchange knowledge and ideas with others. The more knowledge we put into amplifier designs the better they will get.