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US 12,634,640 B2Granted
Audio signal reproduction
OwnerMichel Vanden Broeckinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An amplifier stage uses a loaded transistor amplifier circuit including a load that causes greater second order harmonic distortion energy than third order harmonic distortion energy to be produced in said loaded transistor amplifier circuit for amplifying a source audio signal to produce an audio output signal. The spectrum of the fundamental orders of harmonic distortion is adjusted to improve perceived sound quality or listening enjoyment.
Claims17
An audio signal power amplifier system comprising:
- a non-linear pre-amplifier having near unity or low gain comprising:
- a high impedance input;
- a low impedance output;
- an input stage connected to said high impedance input, said input stage comprising a transistor amplifier circuit including an adjustable load that causes, in use, said input stage to exhibit as a function of said adjustable load different relative amounts of second order harmonic distortion energy and third order harmonic distortion energy;
- an output stage connected to said input stage and to said low impedance output;
- and
- a non-linear power amplifier receiving said output stage, comprising a transistor circuit generating negligible second and fourth order harmonic distortion and non-negligible third and fifth order harmonic distortion,
- wherein said system provides higher second order harmonic distortion energy than third order harmonic distortion energy with decreasing energies at progressively higher order harmonics at an output of said non-linear power amplifier in response to an input audio signal provided to said high impedance input,
- wherein a total harmonic distortion generated by said non-linear power amplifier is less than 0.5% of a signal amplitude at said low impedance output.
6 more elements
An audio signal playback system comprising:
- a processor configured to receive an input soundtrack and to produce a second order harmonic copy thereof;
- a mixer configured to mix said input soundtrack with said second order harmonic copy to produce a simulation of second order harmonic distortion energy within said input soundtrack in a mixed soundtrack;
- a non-linear power amplifier receiving said mixed soundtrack, comprising a transistor circuit generating negligible second and fourth order harmonic distortion energy and non-negligible third and fifth order harmonic distortion energy,
- wherein said system provides higher second order harmonic distortion energy than third order harmonic distortion energy with decreasing energies at progressively higher order harmonics,
- wherein a total harmonic distortion generated by said non-linear power amplifier is less than 0.5% of a signal amplitude at an output of said non-linear power amplifier.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.