Toroidal Transformer And Audio Amplifiers
Made for Each Other.....
An audio amplifier is regular household equipment. The primary objective of this device is to increase the amplitude of sound feed in the unit. Most people are already aware of this behaviour. What most users don't know is that the audio input feed into the amplifier is in the range of millivolts. This voltage is not just low but also week and can be very easily considered noise if not handled using suitable shielding. The Critical parts of a Premium amplifier are high-quality input terminals. They have shielded input wires that carry the audio signal, Excellent sized power filters and Silent StepDown Transformer.
Concentrated Magnetic Field, Lower Leakage Flux
The input wire shielding helps avoid external nose from the main AC lines and the transformer. In a quality toroidal transformer, the magnetic field is less than 1/10th of that of a regular Transformer. Which means a lower impact on the signal cables running inside the cabinet. The magnetic lines of a standard transformer spread at a greater distance from the transformer. They run through the cables near them and some time out of the amplifier cabinet. These magnetic lines lead to unwanted voltage inducted in the nearby cables. Imagine if a signal wire has such sensitive audio a simple field regularly cutting the wire induces some potential. This additional voltage in the signal line creates what is called a Poor Signal to Noise Ratio. Just putting heavy shielding on the signal wire is not sufficient because this information also travels though the circuit board installed in the cabinet. Using a toroidal transformer constrains the magnetic field as the output wires that surround the transformer catch all the induction lines and channel them to the output. This behaviour makes Toroidal Transforme a smart choice for Audio Amplifier.
Lower Physical Vibration/Mechanical Humm
We discussed the effect of magnetic field on the audio amplifier. Still, we should consider another critical parameter before choosing an Amplifier. It is the physical vibration or mechanical hum inside an audio amplifier. We all know that electronic devices are made of circuit boards. These boards have components soldered on them. The power and the input wires are hooked up either using connectors or soldered on the board. The minute vibration in a regular audio amplifier not just creates annoying sound when listening at lower levels but also increases over time. This vibration creates an unstable output and also leads to a lot of power loss and poor efficiency. The toroidal transformer doesn't have this problem. The toroidal design of the transformers automatically dampens all the vibration without any external help. One of the main reasons why there is no physical vibration felt in amplifiers with a toroidal transformer installed.
Lower Operating Temperature
The concentrated magnetic field leads to low loss; at the same time, the lower mechanical Humm leads to less vibration. The tightly wound windings around the core leading to lower Eddy current and higher efficiency. All these properties lead to another important characteristic "Low Temperature". All modern-day amplifiers work by switching transistors or MOSFETs. This high-frequency switching generates much heat on its own. This switching creates heat inside the cabinet and raises the temperature. Adding a regular transformer adds to the already hot system increasing the overall temperature of the system. It is a renowned fact that electronic components degrade at elevated temperatures and their life reduces. When using a toroidal transformer, we avoid the massive heat generated by the power source, which brings the overall temperature down by more than 50%. The only heated parts then remain, switching MOSFETs or transistors. This controller temperature gives the onboard electronics room to breath easy.
Less Weight
Modern technology has changed the way we move and work. Progress has made it possible for us to carry computers in our pocket. The amplifier is no exception to this progress. Over the last decade weight of amplifiers have reduced dramatically. The use of modern electronic components has made it possible to use a smaller heatsink. The footprint for power electronics has reduced drastically over the past decade. Adding GaN Mosfets have cut the footprint to a half. But all this only contributes to about 20-30% of the amplifier weight. The governing player in weight management is the transformer. Toroidal transformer has at least 50% less weight compared to the EI counterpart. Power Transformer is the crucial player in deciding the weight of an Audio Amplifier.