How do amplifiers work?

michaelb15 · 07-10-2008, 01:45 PM

ok i tore apart some old desktop speakers to salvage the amp out of it, and hooked it inbetween the surroundsound amp's sub output, and 2 subs
now when I crank the volume, the middle amp seems to have less output or sumthing

I crank up the bass on the surroundsound amp, and it also has very little effect.

Not that im not getting a lot of bass, but im kinda wondering on how so much wattage is lost?

the little light I have on the homebrew amp dims as it should under high load, but it doesnt sound like its pumping out the power it should

its like electricity is simply vanishing somwhere inbetween the 2 amps.. lol just doesnt make sense to me.. like every action has a equal and opposite reaction... doesnt it? it cant just vasish.. can it? its not like any wires are melting or anything..

magnethead · 07-10-2008, 06:43 PM

you can't connect an amp to an amp. You simply won't be alive for long.

Trust me..i've blown quite a few up.

michaelb15 · 07-10-2008, 09:04 PM

hmm I must be the luckyest sob alive :p ive had this set up for 3 months, had it cranked (not clipping.... much) for hours on end.. and it, and I am still alive n poundin :p

now to think of it, thers a heat sink on it that does get really hot.. lol prolly some power loss there

but what part blows up? lol im lookin at mine right now.. the heatsink is attached to a little transistor thats maybe 3/4 of an inch long, and 1/4 of an inch high..

the other part that gets nice n warm is obviously the power supply(17v, 1 amp)

nothing else really emits any heat

magnethead · 07-10-2008, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelb15

hmm I must be the luckyest sob alive :p ive had this set up for 3 months, had it cranked (not clipping.... much) for hours on end.. and it, and I am still alive n poundin :p

now to think of it, thers a heat sink on it that does get really hot.. lol prolly some power loss there

but what part blows up? lol im lookin at mine right now.. the heatsink is attached to a little transistor thats maybe 3/4 of an inch long, and 1/4 of an inch high..

the other part that gets nice n warm is obviously the power supply(17v, 1 amp)

nothing else really emits any heat

On the 2 I blew up, the capacitors got too warm and eventually cracked open and leaked fluid. (hence I always go with solids now when avaliable). also, amps are meant to recieve a pre-amp (1-3VAC, low amperage) signal unless marked otherwise, and output a line (1-5VAC, high amperage) signal. Otherwise clipping WILL occur and blow a transistor out.

michaelb15 · 07-12-2008, 06:01 PM

well after tearing apart an old computer today I salvaged a CPU fan for it. now the heatsink is cool to the touch, when before I couldnt hold it for more then a second or two without burinin myself..

I havnt really pushed its limits yet with the fan, only maybe like 1/3 the volume..

ther both really small amps, the desktop speakers they were outtta were "30w" advertized.. and the sub power at max on the surround amp is only advertized for 15w.. lol so thats prolly less actual power?

any way id be able to easily modify it in any way? lol ive got a 300 watt psu thats barly being used lol its just on powering a few fans lol.. would that do anythn? lol :p

07-10-2008, 01:45 PM	#1 (permalink)
michaelb15 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 28 OS: Windows XP SP3 DX10	How do amplifiers work? ok i tore apart some old desktop speakers to salvage the amp out of it, and hooked it inbetween the surroundsound amp's sub output, and 2 subs now when I crank the volume, the middle amp seems to have less output or sumthing I crank up the bass on the surroundsound amp, and it also has very little effect. Not that im not getting a lot of bass, but im kinda wondering on how so much wattage is lost? the little light I have on the homebrew amp dims as it should under high load, but it doesnt sound like its pumping out the power it should its like electricity is simply vanishing somwhere inbetween the 2 amps.. lol just doesnt make sense to me.. like every action has a equal and opposite reaction... doesnt it? it cant just vasish.. can it? its not like any wires are melting or anything..

07-10-2008, 06:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
magnethead Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: TX Posts: 2,026 OS: XPH, 2K My System Blog Entries: 2	Re: How do amplifiers work? you can't connect an amp to an amp. You simply won't be alive for long. Trust me..i've blown quite a few up. __________________ AIM me: MAGNET794 For proper support: what are you running? video card, cpu, m/board, ram, power supply, brand, wattage, any error message? PCI-E requires 26 amps at 12 volts. That's a 650W PSU. Power Supply Info and Selection . Info on thermal compounds & application . TEST PSU USING MULTI-METER

07-10-2008, 09:04 PM	#3 (permalink)
michaelb15 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 28 OS: Windows XP SP3 DX10	Re: How do amplifiers work? hmm I must be the luckyest sob alive :p ive had this set up for 3 months, had it cranked (not clipping.... much) for hours on end.. and it, and I am still alive n poundin :p now to think of it, thers a heat sink on it that does get really hot.. lol prolly some power loss there but what part blows up? lol im lookin at mine right now.. the heatsink is attached to a little transistor thats maybe 3/4 of an inch long, and 1/4 of an inch high.. the other part that gets nice n warm is obviously the power supply(17v, 1 amp) nothing else really emits any heat

07-12-2008, 06:01 PM	#5 (permalink)
michaelb15 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 28 OS: Windows XP SP3 DX10	Re: How do amplifiers work? well after tearing apart an old computer today I salvaged a CPU fan for it. now the heatsink is cool to the touch, when before I couldnt hold it for more then a second or two without burinin myself.. I havnt really pushed its limits yet with the fan, only maybe like 1/3 the volume.. ther both really small amps, the desktop speakers they were outtta were "30w" advertized.. and the sub power at max on the surround amp is only advertized for 15w.. lol so thats prolly less actual power? any way id be able to easily modify it in any way? lol ive got a 300 watt psu thats barly being used lol its just on powering a few fans lol.. would that do anythn? lol :p