Series Versus Shunt Regulators – A Mixed Bag

Series voltage regulators are a great way to provide almost-noise free and rock-stable DC to your audio circuits. But the load current often has distorted signal components that can generate a ‘dirty ground’ across the supply ground wires and tracks. This can introduce distortion components in other circuit sections using this ground. With shunt regulators we can keep the dirty ground localized and largely avoid the problem. Technical Editor Jan Didden explains.

Driven by the need to maximize battery life in portable devices, Class-D efficiency at low output levels is receiving greater attention. This is particularly important to achieve longer battery life in designs such as true wireless earbuds. Power optimized amplification is precisely the goal for Multilevel Class-D, and now there's also Fractal Class-D, a new technology developed by SiliconIntervention, a Canadian company formed in 2019 as the result of the pioneering research and development of its founder Martin Mallinson, the former Chief Scientist at ESS Technology.

Immersed in Audio Innovations. More than 20 demonstration cars. Record number of sponsors. Sold-out registrations for the 5th Audio Engineering Society (AES) Automotive Audio Conference at the spectacular Geely Uni3 Center, in the historic town of Gothenburg, Sweden. Roger Shively explains why the 5th International AES Conference on Automotive Audio, in Gothenburg, Sweden will be one to remember.

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 keynote unveiled Apple Intelligence and was another historic moment for the Cupertino company. Apple Intelligence will be implemented in this year's and future devices, and will arrive with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and watchOS 11 updates. Everywhere in the demonstrations of the new features, we could see clear signs of artificial intelligence doing its thing in the background. A true milestone in the history of computing and consumer technology - when AI started to make sense.

audioXpress attended the HEAD acoustics' MOBILITY Voice and Noise Conference 2024 (May 8-9, 2024). An immersive event with the most advanced solutions and an application-based approach for testing and evaluating sound for automotive. On the southern shore of the Golden Gate strait, located on the headlands of the San Francisco Peninsula inside the Presidio, not far from the historic Officer's Club, HEAD acoustics hosted this conference as a way to provide an updated and practical look at all automotive and mobility voice and noise applications.

High End 2024. Digital music players, streaming players, music streamers. Music sources in audio shows are changing. The industry is embracing music streaming services. At AXPONA 2024 and at the High End 2024, the prevalent music source in all demos and listening rooms are the latest class of network music streamers and digital audio players. This is my second article expanding on my personal experience at the excellent Munich audio show.

High End Munich 2024. Once again, one of best organized audio shows in the world, with a wide spectrum of very high-quality audio solutions presented, and an excellent business environment. All perfectly complements this international trade show, making it highly valuable for all. A true "marketplace" for the audio industry in the best sense of the term. These are my first impressions.

In analog audio, you often must connect a source to a “receiver” unit. Pre-amp to power amp, phono preamp to an active crossover, the crossover to the power amp, that sort of stuff. Each of these units has an input impedance and an output impedance spec. I often get questions like: “My power amp has 20kΩ input impedance, my preamp has 100Ω output impedance, and maximum load is specified as 10kΩ. Will that work together or will I break something?”. Jan Didden explains all about Input-Output Impedance Matching.

Regulator Needed for Stable, Noise- and Ripple-Free DC Relationship. Does your nice circuit get what he needs from the power supply? Jan Didden explores when a regulator is a regulator. ...when it regulates, you’d think. Yet, in many online fora and discussions you see circuits that ‘do something’ but there’s absolutely no regulation taking place.

I tested the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and I'm Keeping Them. They sound great and allow listening at safe levels while being aware of what other people say. These make a great case for Open Ears and that's the topic of this article where I have inserted my review of the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and I provide examples of how the industry has been exploring alternative designs that avoid in-ear occlusion, from loose-fit earbud shapes to the recent air conduction craze.