whats the difference between full digital amps and other amps? - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

G.E. · 12-06-2009, 05:00 PM

all i can gather from ads is that they are smaller... and more expensive.

rocketmac · 12-10-2009, 07:21 PM

There is a difference between analog and digital amplification. Alpine makes both, and you can check out there website for their take on it.

But here is what I've been able to gather:

Digital amps can be smaller and use less power (which is good when you don't want to over-tax your battery and alternator). However, if you look at the specs, it seems that they are not as clean as some nice analog amps. But then again, that may not be as noticeable in a car that is not a Lexus.

It may also not have the kind of current capability of the analog amps.

I replaced an ADS 6x40 watt analog amp with a small Alpine 4x45 watt digital amp that fits behind the dash. I did that because I didn't want to loose my ADS amp when I sell the car.

The Alpine amp sounds good, but doesn't have near the balls of the ADS.

Does that answer your question.

14pilot · 12-11-2009, 08:43 AM

The difference is in the word used by marketing to get you to buy their product. All amps are analog. Just think about this, your ears don't hear 1s and 0s do they? No, we hear only analog signals from 20 to 20,000 Hertz. The word 'Digital' is kinda akin to marketing terms such as 'neato', 'spiffy', 'mondo cool' or 'craptastic'.

I've been an audio engineer since 1974 and the marketing hype term for amps being , 'digital' cracks the f*@# up me !

digitalzombie · 01-23-2010, 02:09 AM

I don't think I can answer your question directly but I can do it indirectly...

Digital are stepladder like motions as they progress up or down.

Analog are linear going up or down.

Ex of a Analog:
Rolex watch with the hand dials. They can move in between the minutes. The movement are not set to a particular unit but a graduate motion. Analog are more precise.

Ex of digital:
Casio G watch - you can go from minute to minute or second to second and etc.. Basically it's set to move to certain unit. Digital rounds up to the lowest unit it can go.

Hmm guess it doesn't help much eh? haha.

Rogue Leader · 01-23-2010, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 14pilot

The difference is in the word used by marketing to get you to buy their product. All amps are analog. Just think about this, your ears don't hear 1s and 0s do they? No, we hear only analog signals from 20 to 20,000 Hertz. The word 'Digital' is kinda akin to marketing terms such as 'neato', 'spiffy', 'mondo cool' or 'craptastic'.

I've been an audio engineer since 1974 and the marketing hype term for amps being , 'digital' cracks the f*@# up me !

Have you seen a lot of lower end speakers advertise themselves as "digital ready" as well, that always gives me a good laugh.

bob1029 · 01-27-2010, 03:59 PM

Essentially the difference between digital and analog amplifiers is how the input signal is amplified into a usable signal. There are several "classes" of amplifiers. A traditional home theater amplifier is going to be a class AB (linear) for maximum quality. Pro Audio uses class G/H (discrete/continuously switching linear) for a trade-off between quality and efficiency. Class D (pure switching) is the "digital" class that they are probably referencing. These are best suited for driving low frequency components, such as subwoofers and mid-bass drivers. The reasons for this are complex, but basically the way a class D amp works is a high frequency carrier (anywhere from 60-300kHz) is switched on and off by the incoming audio signal. A passive low-pass filter is used to remove the carrier from the amplified output resulting in a theoretically pure amplified signal. In the real-world an ideal low-pass filter does not exist, so some switching noise can be detected at higher frequencies in some instances (through tweeters and ultrasonic drivers).

It is perfectly acceptable and usually preferred to use an extremely efficient class D amplifier for your subs and a less efficient, yet higher quality class AB for the mid/highs.

If you are trying to push 1200 watts to a sub and your class D amp is 96% efficient, you get a quiescent heat dissipation (wasted power) of 48 watts. on the other hand, if you were to use a 1200 watt class AB amp rated at (optimistically) 40% efficiency to drive the same load, that same figure raises to 720 watts.

Any other questions? :P

12-06-2009, 05:00 PM	#1
G.E. Drives: black on black twenty ten ss/rs Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 429 View My Garage	whats the difference between full digital amps and other amps? all i can gather from ads is that they are smaller... and more expensive. __________________ I GOT MINE! Where's yours? :(

12-10-2009, 07:21 PM	#2
rocketmac Drives: 1991 Corvette Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Georgia Posts: 1	There is a difference between analog and digital amplification. Alpine makes both, and you can check out there website for their take on it. But here is what I've been able to gather: Digital amps can be smaller and use less power (which is good when you don't want to over-tax your battery and alternator). However, if you look at the specs, it seems that they are not as clean as some nice analog amps. But then again, that may not be as noticeable in a car that is not a Lexus. It may also not have the kind of current capability of the analog amps. I replaced an ADS 6x40 watt analog amp with a small Alpine 4x45 watt digital amp that fits behind the dash. I did that because I didn't want to loose my ADS amp when I sell the car. The Alpine amp sounds good, but doesn't have near the balls of the ADS. Does that answer your question.

01-23-2010, 02:09 AM	#4
digitalzombie Drives: C-Class 230 Kompressor Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: California Posts: 1	I don't think I can answer your question directly but I can do it indirectly... Digital are stepladder like motions as they progress up or down. Analog are linear going up or down. Ex of a Analog: Rolex watch with the hand dials. They can move in between the minutes. The movement are not set to a particular unit but a graduate motion. Analog are more precise. Ex of digital: Casio G watch - you can go from minute to minute or second to second and etc.. Basically it's set to move to certain unit. Digital rounds up to the lowest unit it can go. Hmm guess it doesn't help much eh? haha.

01-27-2010, 03:59 PM	#6
bob1029 Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS M6 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Houston Posts: 6	Essentially the difference between digital and analog amplifiers is how the input signal is amplified into a usable signal. There are several "classes" of amplifiers. A traditional home theater amplifier is going to be a class AB (linear) for maximum quality. Pro Audio uses class G/H (discrete/continuously switching linear) for a trade-off between quality and efficiency. Class D (pure switching) is the "digital" class that they are probably referencing. These are best suited for driving low frequency components, such as subwoofers and mid-bass drivers. The reasons for this are complex, but basically the way a class D amp works is a high frequency carrier (anywhere from 60-300kHz) is switched on and off by the incoming audio signal. A passive low-pass filter is used to remove the carrier from the amplified output resulting in a theoretically pure amplified signal. In the real-world an ideal low-pass filter does not exist, so some switching noise can be detected at higher frequencies in some instances (through tweeters and ultrasonic drivers). It is perfectly acceptable and usually preferred to use an extremely efficient class D amplifier for your subs and a less efficient, yet higher quality class AB for the mid/highs. If you are trying to push 1200 watts to a sub and your class D amp is 96% efficient, you get a quiescent heat dissipation (wasted power) of 48 watts. on the other hand, if you were to use a 1200 watt class AB amp rated at (optimistically) 40% efficiency to drive the same load, that same figure raises to 720 watts. Any other questions? :P