Home Amp/Preamp Asylum

Looking for a new Amp or Preamp? If you're after tubes, post over here.

chaotic behavior

We actually don't know how amps behave with music. We measure them with sine waves (maybe a couple at a time for IMD). We are largely making an *assumption* that an amp's distortion spectra with a highly complex signal (music) is identical to that with sine waves.

If the amp has improperly applied feedback, I've long theorized that it could behave chaotically with a strange attracter around its phase margin. Non-linearities in the speaker contributing to the behavior, depending on how well the feedback loop is designed.

Zero feedback amps don't have this problem but you also don't have a really good idea about how they are distorting either, although we sometimes have a pretty good guess based simply on the sine wave response.

The 32 note test signal is a better means to see what is really happening.


This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  Parts Connexion  


Follow Ups Full Thread
Follow Ups
  • chaotic behavior - Ralph 06/3/2507:55:21 06/3/25 (0)

FAQ

Post a Message!

Forgot Password?
Moniker (Username):
Password (Optional):
  Remember my Moniker & Password  (What's this?)    Eat Me
E-Mail (Optional):
Subject:
Message:   (Posts are subject to Content Rules)
Optional Link URL:
Optional Link Title:
Optional Image URL:
Upload Image:
E-mail Replies:  Automagically notify you when someone responds.