Car Audio Amplification & Subwoofers

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AUDIO AMPLIFICATION

What is audio amplification? Audi o amplification, in simple terms is the boosting of low frequency input sound to high frequency output sound. This refers picking up the sound from a device such as a microphone, radio tuner or a compact disk player and magnifying it to an extent of loud, quality sound from a loudspeaker or any other transducer.

Amplifiers have all different power ratings. They range from some below one watt to same with a couple thousand watts. Stereo amplifiers on the other hand have independent sound and power entities but producing output at the same level. A high power rating translates to a high volume and quality sound output as compared to the low power rating.

A good audio amplifier is one which, despite producing higher frequency or high volume sound, it is still relative and same to that of the input. That is, it produces output with for example the same bass and treble level as the input. They further provide options for adjusting the various sound features of the output. For example, you get to adjust the volume, base, treble etc of the output.

Audio amplification also puts sound distortion into consideration. If an audio amplifier is not manufactured keenly, it is bound to distort the sound and hence output low quality sound that is even annoying to the ears. One would think that the problem lies with the speakers when in real sense, it is with the amplification. Good amplifiers therefore, in this respect have very low sound distortion.

Audio amplifiers have undergone many changes with time. In the past, there was a stage in audio amplification known as pre-amplification. This was a stage that prepared the electronic signal for further amplification process. Nowadays, with the invention of CD and DVD players that produce flat sound signals, this stage of amplification is no longer necessary. Therefore today’s amplifiers do not come with in built pre-amplifiers.

To get to fully understand the working of an audio amplifier is another topic on its own. This is because they are many complex science principles and processes that involve sound in form of electric signals in the amplifier. To simplify this I am going to use a microphone, amplifier, speaker set up.

When one talks to a microphone, the sound causes the vibration of the microphone diaphragm, hence transforming the sound to electric signals. The sound then travels through the wire in form of rarefactions and compressions. The amplifier then picks up this signal and boosts it further and retransmits it through the wire to the speaker, which performs the function of converting the rarefactions and compressions inform of electric signals into sound.

Therefore, amplifiers are generally useful when for example intending for the sound to reach a large audience for example a crowd of people. When using them for audio amplification, always remember to choose one with low distortion levels and produces quality loud output.

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