Amplifier Slew Rate What is it?

G

gerrydelasel

Audiophyte
Exactly what I said. Given the same voltage swing, bandwidh and slew rate are directly related.
Sorry, but no, bandwidth has nothing to do with slew rate.

Slew rate is how fast the output voltage can swing, but this tells you nothing about the frequency of the signal doing the swinging. For example, an amp with a slew rate of 1V/us could theroetically swing 8Vpk at 20kHz, or 1.6Vpk at 100kHz. So does that mean its bandwidth ios 20kHz, or 100kHz? Neither. It tells you nothing about the bandwidth.

Slew rate comes from an amplifiers ability to dump current into a capacitor. It can be defined as:
Slew rate = Ipk/Capacitance

So why do audio power amps claim a slew rate? Where is the capacitor?
It is inside the amplifier. The slew rate is determined by the input circuit's ability to dump current into the Miller capacitance of the next amplifying stage.

Bandwidth is an entirely separate issue. The bandwidth of an amplifier is the same whether yopu're talking about small signals or large ones. Ideally you want the slew rate to be high enough that when amplfying the highest frequency at the highest amplitude, you don't get slew limiting distortion. But if the slew rate is too small, you could hit slew limiting even at frequencies well within the bandwidth, simply because you're asking the amplifier to produce signal swings that are too big. Back off the signal swing, and you move away from slew limiting.
 
S

Scott Weiner

Audiophyte
1. In a car audio amplifier, what is considered a good slew rate?
2. Most importantly, with all other things being equal, how is sound quality affected between amps where one amp has a much better slew rate than the other?
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
1. In a car audio amplifier, what is considered a good slew rate?
2. Most importantly, with all other things being equal, how is sound quality affected between amps where one amp has a much better slew rate than the other?
Don't worry about it- most are going to be in the 50V range and if you're driving, you'll never hear the difference. For that matter, if you're not driving, you won't hear the difference.

It's a spec that's used as a design goal and if you have been exposed to loud sounds for a long time, your hearing has been damaged, to some degree. I don't care what anyone says, they can't be exposed to loud AND have perfect hearing.
 
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