Operational Specifications for the Black AMP

1 – Output Drive

The Black AMP is a current mode amplification process. Instead of the typical artificial ‘zero’ impedance output of feedback based amplifiers, the Black Amp output is high impedance. This is a current source driving the headphone transducer in a more ‘natural’ process, the result of no global or stage feedback.

2 – Noise

100 Hz
1 kHz
10 kHz
50 kHz
A key technical feature of the Black Amp is that the distortion does not change with frequency. The four images below are the signal and the distortion. Note that all the distortion is second (even) harmonic energy. Even harmonics are melodic in nature as opposed to the usual distortion of feedback which is odd harmonic based and thus dissonant in sonic nature. Note the fourth image, the distortion above 50 kHz.

Signal to noise is over 115 dB (weighted, that is 60 Hz limited) from a 2 volt RMS output. Noise is one of the important factors that limits resolution and the details needed for a true soundscape. The Black AMP’s unique clarity and resolution is rooted in noise between the spectral elements of the musical signal.

3 – Distortion

4 – Square Waves

Square-waves reveal both stability and bandwidth issues. Without resorting to using feedback, the Black AMP is flat and stable out to a megahertz assuring no interactions and odd-harmonic artifacts to reduce resolution and musicality. In technical terms, the Black Amp behaves flawlessly through and past the audio band.

100Hz

1 kHz

10 kHz

50 kHz

How does this technical data equate to sonic performance?

1 – The data shows that the dynamic nature of the amplifier does not change with frequency, and that frequency range far exceeds that of the audio spectrum.  A change in distortion based on frequency says that the amplifier is essentially a different amplifier at each frequency.  This means that overtones or harmonics for any specific instrument being reproduced are diffent when amplifed in such a topology.

The amplifier is the same source to the transduceres at all frequecies.  Damping , distortion, gain, all remain the same when seen by the speaker or headphone.

This performance consistancy is the key to timbre-fidelity and spacial coherancey, the better sonic image, the eargasm.