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Shadow... I read the white paper on that amp a year or 2 ago... amazing design it was 2700 watts and the size of a large candybar if I recall.. (that was the sunfire true sub right?) as far as I can tell alot of what made that system work was the sub/amp/box combination, who knows if something like that would work with any box/sub etc.. but if you do get it workin in a car audio application.. WOW
------------------ 9 12's in the hatch of a golf
Posts: 735 | From: Calgary AB | Registered: Oct 1999
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posted
Carver has been experimenting with the odd class amps for many, many years now. However, I have never had the ability to get any of the tech bulletins or schematics and haven't followed their product for years.
Carver uses something he calls a "tracking down convertor" which I believe monitors the input signal and causes the power supply voltage rails to track (proportionately) the input signal very closely. The amplifier is in reality only capable of approximately 500 watts RMS, but the time-limited ability to handle 2500 watt transients and STILL only dissipate 6 amps of current per output transistor on that small of an amp means that he is applying some interesting techniques. I would LOVE to get my hands on just a schematic or even some scrawled out tech notes, although I don't wish to copy his design, but parrelel it.
JW- Sunfire.com is where the white papers are availible, however, the website is currently under construction.
ShadowStar
------------------ Computers are a lot like air conditioners.. Open Windows and they become useless..
The day Microsoft makes something that doesn't suck is the day they make vacuums.
Posts: 2578 | From: Somewhere In the Northeast | Registered: May 1999
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What was cool with my old carver was it's switch mode supply. It chopped up the rectified 120 vac (160 or so DC) and sent it into the main power transformer. The frequency was much higher than 60 hz so the transformer didn't have to be as big. The Amp tracked the output signal so it could vary pulse modulate the power supply to keep the secondary voltages a few volts above what the finals were delivering. Cool operating so less heat sink, lighter with a smaller power transformer. Difficult to repair and copy compared to a conventional design.
'Where there's a will there's a wall' 'Would you like a little SQ with your SPL?'
Posts: 926 | From: Sugarland, Tx | Registered: May 1999
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Those Carver amps are amazing, I read A/V Interiors, and they really have no match. Bob Carver managed to design an amazingly well made system. The variable power input is the big trick, but it's difficult. Keeps the pwoer high and the amp cool and small.
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My understanding was that it is a variation of a class D design, with tracking, which gives it its great efficiency and small footprint (considering it's output) I may be wrong on the class D part though.
------------------ STILL waiting to hear a GOOD pair of HLCD's!!
If it dont fit, force it... if it breaks, it needed to be replaced anyway...
I don't think it is actually Class D... Also- The class E thing, he has the transistors current limited to pass only 6 volts (i think) in the Sunfire subwoofer amplifier... Even on peak outputs, they don't go over that.. And he doesn't have a lot of them transistors in there, because the amp be only de size of de candy bar :-)
ShadowStar
------------------ Computers are a lot like air conditioners.. Open Windows and they become useless..
The day Microsoft makes something that doesn't suck is the day they make vacuums.
Posts: 2578 | From: Somewhere In the Northeast | Registered: May 1999
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posted
If you can somehow limit the voltage that is across the transistors at any given time you can do a lot with fewer parts. Most audio BJT's and Mosfets are good up to 150-200 watts. So if you limit the voltage across the output device to six volts you could let that device pass 25 Amps as long as that doesn't exceed the device rating. So theoretically you could have a 1000 watt amp with two output devices.
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Look on your Carver amp, if there is any thing saying "Bash" then its using the Blade technology. They have marketed it to many home amp manufacturers.
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Hmmn that's funny I thought that Carver only made large amps for ampatheator setups. I help run the sound room at my church and we run Carver amps, those things are amazing, but you have to monitor them often!
------------------ -Life moves pretty fast, If you don't take a look around once and a while, you could miss it. http://lowspage.cjb.net My E-mail: Low_Rider@mailcity.com
posted
The carver's I've seen were all the A,A/B output section with the odd power supply. Although I'm more familiar with the old carver and mac amps. I believe mine said magnetic drive or magnetic servo on it for it's unique power supply. Can't remember for sure.
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