2. amps-preamps
  3. 173541-155348

Class A into Class AB

I’m still a little confused about power amplifiers and integrated amplifiers that are class A & class A/B. Like when they say the first 8 watts are class A then it goes into 400watts class A/B. But the same amplifier can be biased to put out 12watts class A then go into 250watts class A/B. It can be biased again for 18watts class A and 150watts class A/B. etc. Ive read that these amplifiers, ones that can be biased like that...and in general all the "first X amount of watts are class A before going into class A/B"...that those first X amount of class A watts is NOT true class A. If that’s true...what is it then? What’s "kind of" class A mean? What’s the point of a "first X amount of watts are class A" then?

tmac1700

Showing 1 response by ditusa

ditusa's avatar
ditusa
1,728 posts
 

Mostly it is marketing lingo, for a biased amp.

I agree!

My understanding is a class A /AB amplifier, will have a switch to differentiate between the two classes. The switch changes the amplifier quiescent current. My amplifiers have a switch on the front panel in class A the quiescent current is 250 watts, in class AB quiescent current is 90 watts. I don't know if that answered the OP's ?

 

More to discover