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Congratulations Atmasphere!

I noticed today that Ralph Karsten (whom regular and even occasional participants in this forum will of course recognize as the designer and proprietor of Atma-Sphere Music Systems, as well as a uniquely valuable contributor to the forum) was granted United States patent number 10,469,042 on November 5, 2019. It covers an audio amplification technique he had indicated here that he has been developing, which in simple terms appears to me to basically be a clever combination of an analog-to-pulse train converter (as used in traditional class D amplifiers for example, among other audio-related applications), with an output stage employing circlotron topology (analogous to the topology used in his OTL power amplifiers, but utilizing solid state devices).

Link to the Patent.

Congratulations Ralph!!

Best regards,
--Al


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atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,633 posts
 
I could not be happier (perhaps ignorance is bliss) with my M-60s.  I'd be at a loss to imagine how they could be improved upon with respect to sound.   Not saying the M-60s are the worlds best sounding amps, just saying that my 3.3s with the current tube complement have not been bettered by anything I personally have heard at any price.
This is all about the way the loudspeaker and amplifier work together. Some speakers don't like a lot of damping and then our OTLs play them nicely. Other loudspeakers simply can't be driven well by any tube amp without feedback; that's what the class D is for. In both cases the idea is to minimize higher ordered harmonic production and IMD to prevent harshness.

Someday maybe there will be a 'universal amplifier' but IMO that's still a ways off.

Thanks for all your comments :)  Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
agriculturist
177 posts
 
Hi Ralph:

My congratulations on winning the patent!  Just out of curiosity, at least for now, a question...

For starters I am basically very low-tech in my understanding of your work.  But I am curious if your new amps would be usable for my Linkwitz LX521.4 open baffle speakers?  In case you don't know these speakers, the LX521.4 system involves two monitors with 5 drivers each.  To drive them I now use two very nice sounding Parasound A51 5-way multi-channel amps.

Would it be cost-effective to make a multi-channel amp, say 5-channel, or would that just multiply the cost by 5 (or perhaps 2.5 if the starting point for the comparison is a stereo amp)?  Also is your design energy efficient, in the way that Class D is supposed to be?

Thank you

bellemusique's avatar
bellemusique
67 posts
 
Congratulations Ralph ! Toutes mes félicitations !
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,633 posts
 
But I am curious if your new amps would be usable for my Linkwitz LX521.4 open baffle speakers?
The class D amp acts like a voltage source similar to the Parasound, so it should work. Like any class D amp it is energy efficient.
biketech60
51 posts
 
Without tubes, will it be possible to produce a low-to-mid power amplifier at a price somewhat competitive with other fairly advanced class D amps ? Below TOTL pricing ?
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