9/2/2017 7WattClassAAudioAmplifierREDPage177

7WattClassAAudioAmplifier
Behaveslikeaonevalveoperatedamplifier
Improvedversionofthe35WClassAamp
Circuitdiagram:

Parts:
P1_____________50KLog.Potentiometer(or47K)
(twinconcentricspindledualgangforstereo)

R1____________100K1/2WTrimmerCermet
R2____________100K1/4WResistor
R3______________8K21/4WResistor
R4,R8_________100R1/4WResistors
R5______________2K71/4WResistor
R6______________1K1/4WResistor
R7____________680R1/4WResistor
R9______________1R1/2WResistor

C1____________470nF63VPolyesterCapacitor
C2_____________47F25VElectrolyticCapacitor
C3,C5_________470F25VElectrolyticCapacitors
C4____________220F25VElectrolyticCapacitor
C6___________1000F25VElectrolyticCapacitor

Q1___________BC560C45V100mALownoiseHighgainPNPTransistor
Q2___________BC33745V800mANPNTransistor
Q3___________BD43745V4ANPNTransistor
Q4___________BD675A45V4ANPNDarlingtonTransistor

SPKR___________Oneormorespeakerswiredinseriesorinparallel
Totalresultingimpedance:8Ohm
Minimumpowerhandling:10W

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Comments:

Morethanelevenyearsafteritspublicationonthiswebsiteandaneverincreasingsuccess,the35WClassA
AudioAmplifierhasundergonesomesmallmodifications(theadditionofR1,Q2,R6andthesubstitutionofQ4
withaDarlingtontransistor)capableofproducingamajorimprovement.
Infact,theopenloopgainwasincreased,distortionfiguresatallpowerlevelsweredramaticallyreduced(e.g.
upto30times@500mW),currentdrawingwasreducedtolessthan500mA,maximumoutputpowerwas
pushedupto7.2WRMSinto8Ohmloadandinputsensitivitywasfixedtoabout250mVRMS:inthiswaya
CDplayerorTunercanbedirectlyconnectedtotheamplifierinputwithouttheneedofapreamplifier.

Thereducedcurrentconsumptionallowedtheuseofanultrasimplebutveryefficientregulatedpowersupply
employingacommonLM317IC,capableofdriving,withaheatsinkofmodestsize,twoamplifiers.Thepower
supplyvoltageoftheamplifiermustbesetexactlyto24VbymeansofTrimmerR2,visibleinthePowerSupply
Circuitdiagramshownbelow.
Intheamplifier,TrimmerR1wasaddedtoobtain,withreasonablecertainty,themaximumoutputpower
possible(7.2WRMS).BymeansofthiscomponentthevoltageatthepositiveleadofC6mustbesetexactlyat
onehalfthesupplyvoltage,i.e.12V(withP1turnedfullyanticlockwise).

PowerSupplyCircuitdiagram:

PowerSupplyParts:
R1_______________2K71/2WResistor
R2_______________5K1/2WTrimmerCermet
R3_____________220R1/4WResistor

C1____________4700F35Vor50VElectrolyticCapacitor

D1_____Diodebridge100to400V,2to4A
D2______________LEDAnytypeandcolor

IC1___________LM3173TerminalAdjustableRegulator1.5A

SW1_____________SPSTMainsswitch

T1______________230VPrimary,24VSecondary,
3032VAor1.25to1.33A,Mainstransformer

PL1_____________MaleMainsplugwithcord

Comments:

Theregulatedpowersupplycircuitisstraightforward.Partsvaluessuggestedaresuitedtopowerastereo
versionofthisdesign.

Notes:
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Withbothamplifiersconnectedtotheregulatedpowersupply,adjustTrimmerR1toobtainexactly24Vat
theoutputpinofIC1.
AdjustR1ineachamplifiertoobtainexactly12VacrossC6positiveleadandnegativeground.
Totalcurrentdrawingofeachamplifierisabout450500mAandshouldnotrequireadjustment.
Eachoutputtransistor(Q3andQ4)mustbemountedonafinnedheatsinkof120x50x25mm.minimum
dimensions.

Technicaldata:

Outputpower:
7.2WattRMSinto8Ohm(1KHzsinewave)
Inputsensitivity:
270mVRMSforfulloutput
Frequencyresponse@1WRMS:
Flatfrom50Hzto20KHz2dB@20Hz
TotalHarmonicDistortion@1KHzand10KHz:
500mW0.01%1W0.02%2W0.035%3W0.08%5W0.12%7W0.15%
Unconditionallystableoncapacitiveloads

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