Linear Amplifiers

Linear amplifiers tend to be good at producing power at lower frequencies, but at higher frequencies can run into slew-rate limits and/or shoot-through currents that reduce long-term power as frequency increases. 

Figure 1: Power vs. Frequency Comparison

Wide-Bandwidth Switch-Mode  Amplifiers

Switch-mode amplifiers provide full power at all frequencies. But before now, frequencies were typically limited to only a few kHz.  With the wide-band AE Techron amplifiers, switch-mode benefits are available up to 250 kHz. 

Linear Amplifiers

Linear amplifiers work best when driving loads that are resistive. When loads become inductive or capacitive, returned power is turned into heat, causing long-term power to be reduced. Depending on the load, power ratings can be reduced by 60% or more.

Figure 2: Power vs. Load Reactivity Comparison

Wide-Bandwidth Switch-Mode  Amplifiers

Switch-mode amplifiers work well into all loads. When loads become inductive or capacitive, the returned power is reused. This characteristic allows AE Techron switch-mode amplifiers to have apparent power ratings that are as much as 4X greater than rated power. 

Linear Amplifiers

Linear amplifiers tend to be best at driving loads that have a narrow range of impedances. But even at their optimum impedance, linear amplifiers are not as energy efficient as switch-mode amplifiers. 

Figure 3: Power vs. Load Impedance Comparison

Wide-Bandwidth Switch-Mode  Amplifiers

Switch-mode amplifiers are power converters, highly efficient at moving power from one voltage level to a different one. This characteristic makes them a good choice when load impenances are varied. 

Linear Amplifiers

When the lowest possible noise is needed, there is no substitute for a linear amplifier. AE Techron linear amplifiers are leaders in this category, able to achieve THD+N performance as low as 0.01%.

Figure 4: THD + Noise Comparison

Wide-Bandwidth Switch-Mode  Amplifiers

Traditionally, switch-mode amplifiers are a trade-off between efficiency and a much higher THD and ripple noise in the output signal.

AE Techron switch-mode amplifiers, while still having greater THD+N than a linear amplifier, have dramatically reduced this difference between the topologies.

Linear Amplifiers

Until now, linear amplifiers have been the only option at frequencies above 10 kHz.

Large, energy hungry, expensive, heat producing—but the only option.

Figure 5: Cost Per Watt Comparison

Wide-Bandwidth Switch-Mode  Amplifiers

With the introduction of the 8000 Series, there is an alternative to linear amplifiers at frequencies above 10 kHz.

8000 Series amplifiers offer switch-mode efficiency, linear amplifier bandwidth and fidelity, and they are more cost-effective than any other option.