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Filter capacitance-how does it relate to amplifier performance?

I have a Unison Research Due amplifier that drives my Totem Forest Signature with ease. It has 100wpc in 8ohm and 180wpc in 4ohm. It has a filter capacitance of 80,000uF

I previously had a Atoll in100 amplifier 100wpc in 8 ohm, 140wpc in 4 ohm Capacitance of 31,474 uFMoving up the Atoll line the in200 has 120wpc in 8 ohm and 200wpc in 4 ohm and filter capacitance of 62,000uF
The Atoll in300 has 150wpc in 8 ohm and 260 Epcot in 4 ohm with a filter capacitance of 81,600uF. These also had no trouble driving my speakers.

My understanding of capacitors is that they store energy. Does this mean that my Due amplifier is just as powerful  as the on paper more powerful Atoll in300?

For comparison sake with my Due amplifier I demoed a Plinius Hautonga integrated amp with 200wpc in 8 ohm and 280wpc in 4 ohm. I did not hear any appreciable difference in bass or other frequencies.

So 3 questions.

1) Is my Due amplifier much more powerful than the wpc  indicates?
2) How does filter capacitance relate to power in an amplifier?

3) Why do manufacturers rarely publish this spec? I could only find a few examples.

Thanks
traceyc

Showing 2 responses by georgehifi

georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
By the way, the tube amps absolutely kill the Threshold in bass response...much better control of the big 12" woofers in the NorthCreek crossovered Matrix 801 S2s
Understandable when you look at the very "benign impedance load" of the 801’s
https://www.stereophile.com/images/archivesart/bwll801fig01.jpg

But put something like a Focal No3 Sopra with a magnitude of 2.75 ohms at 96Hz and a combination of 4 ohms and a –56° negative phase angle, then you find the Threshold will be the better.
https://www.stereophile.com/images/417FSop3fig1.jpg

It's all horses for courses.

Cheers George
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
My understanding of capacitors is that they store energy. Does this mean that my Due amplifier is just as powerful as the on paper more powerful Atoll in300?

For comparison sake with my Due amplifier I demoed a Plinius Hautonga integrated amp with 200wpc in 8 ohm and 280wpc in 4 ohm. I did not hear any appreciable difference in bass or other frequencies.
The ability for an amp to drive hard loads, also comes down to very much what the output stage is and how much current is availible (transistors amount if they are Bi-polar or mosfet, and yes capacitor storage amount ect ect)

If you look at old Mark Levinson ML2 monoblocks they are only 25w into 8ohm, yet can double into 4ohm (50w), double again into 2ohm (100w) and again into (1ohm 200w) This means they can drive ANYTHING to a certain volume level.

Too many of todays manufactures "under quote" their 8ohm wattage, so it looks like the 4ohm is doubling (this should be eradicated from the industry and advertising as it’s fraud!!)
That why it’s always good to read Stereophiles bench test as they expose this "under quoting" of the 8 ohm figure so the 4ohm looks much better.

Cheers George

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