My last kid, now 17 years old, just finished building himself a three speaker subwoofer enclosure and is driving it with a Kenwood Class D monaural amp, specifically this one:
Another retired EE and I got to wondering what the circuit topology of that amp is likely to be. While I could probably still draw the schematic of a Dynaco Mk II or a McIntosh C60 (tube) amp from memory, I sure haven't kept up with high power audio amplifier technology since the late 60s.
We understand what Class D operation is, but wonder what system they use to raise the amp's output voltage to reach the claimed power levels into those specified speaker impedances.
The specs mention a "Copper-Shielded EE Core Transformer", If that's not just part of the LC low pass filter after the Class-D stage, could it possibly be a simple audio output xformer right before the speaker terminals (Unlikely, as it'd be HUGE at those powers and low frequencies.) Or, is it part of a dc-dc converter ahead of the Class D switching? Maybe it's used to step up the chopped signal voltage
*between* the Class-D stage and the LC filter?Also, do those "non peak" power levels specified by "name" manufacturers like Kenwood really define continuous survivable rms output power levels, or is there some industry developed standard for typical musical "duty cycles" which isn't meantioned?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Thanks guys,