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Old 17th Apr 2021, 5:01 pm   #22
Radio Wrangler
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Fife, Scotland, UK.
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Default Re: Single ended Class A OP stages.

Yes, all single-ended linear audio amplifiers have to be.

The largest audio componets tend to be in the bass. So a class B, C or AB stage will be cut off over part of the cycle (with big signals around for class AB) so over part of the cycle of the double basses or drums, the sound of the piccolos and triangles and cymbals will be cut-off as well.

If that isn't intermodulation distortion on steroids, I don't know what is!

Push pull stages get around this by always having one device in linear mode, conveying signal (all signals!) at all times. Class B has the difficulty of getting them to meet up exactly without a glitch. Class AB gets around this by having some overlap. It gives you a place where the gain gets doubled, so care over having a smooth segue from one into the other helps a lot. Many people take the class A everywhere escape route.

David
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