GaN Systems Announces New Series of 12V Class D Audio Amplifier Reference Designs

GaN Systems, a company specialized in GaN (gallium nitride) power semiconductors, published a new technical document titled, “12V High-Efficiency Audio Reference Designs using GaN Power Transistors.” The technical note was developed following the launch of the new GaN Systems Class-D audio amplifier evaluation kit and from growing customer interest for designs in the 12V market for automotive, marine, powersports, and other applications from power system design engineers.

Bryston has introduced the 4B Trade-Up Program in the US and Canada, offering an enticing path toward ownership of a Bryston Cubed Series amplifier — an iconic jewel of the audiophile landscape. Owners of any previous generation 4B amplifiers can trade that model in through authorized Bryston dealers for substantial credit towards Bryston’s newest 4B³, which the brand promotes as "one of the finest Bryston amplifiers ever built."

Powersoft expanded its range of rack mounted amplifiers for the installation market with new models in the Duecanali and Quattrocanali Series. Unveiled at the InfoComm 2020 Connected event, the two newest additions to the company's Duecanali and Quattrocanali lines have more power, add power-sharing features and deliver even more in the popular single rack 2 and 4 channel platforms. The Duecanali 6404 DSP+D and the Quattrocanali 8804 DSP+D bring 175 Vpeak performances into an extremely convenient package.

audioXpress July 2020 is now available, and there's a quiet revolution happening in audio amplification. Essentially it is the direct result of strong innovation in Class-D technology, with incremental improvements introduced on multiple fronts. In this month's Market Update, J. Martins details a few of the "Class-D Products Getting Smarter" and then Stuart Yaniger discusses Class-D amplifiers from two of those companies: Purifi Audio and Orchard Audio. Also, Ward Maas details his visit to Purifi Audio. Dimitri Danyuk shares his "Fully Balanced Transconductance Preamplifier" project, Roger Russell is "Hunting the Elusive Transient," and Ed Simon concludes his "Powering Your Circuits" series. And there's much more valuable content in this edition. Download or view your issue online now.

This project is a great suggestion for a new affordable high-end 2 x 40 W Class D audio amplifier implemented with a Hardware Attached on Top (HAT) board to connect onto a Raspberry Pi Zero platform, creating a solution ideally suited for DIY audio projects. On the other hand, this is a very clever way to promote the Merus amplifiers from Infineon and get a great number of developers and enthusiasts to actual use it, get to know it, and understand its advantages in a real audio project. This article was originally published in audioXpress, January 2020.

Oliver Masciarotte and Stuart Yaniger tested Cambridge Audio’s Edge series power amplifier, the Edge W, which the British manufacturer introduced in 2018 as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations. audioXpress submitted this design, which claimed to be the culmination of the brand’s audio engineering expertise, to extensive listening and measurement sessions. This article was originally published in audioXpress, January 2020.

STMicroelectronics announced the new FDA901 class-D audio amplifier IC, a new design that incorporates the world-class audio expertise of Japanese manufacturer of car audio equipment, Alps Alpine. The new ST chip aims to contribute to the creation of multi-function, high-fidelity car audio systems that fuse the high efficiency of class-D amplifiers with the high-quality sound of ST’s class-AB amplifiers.

Axign B.V. received an equity investment from KBC Focus Fund as the lead investor, together with Innovation Industries and Oost NL. This investment round enables Axign to mass produce and launch the company’s unique range of audio devices worldwide. Additionally, the new funding will support the development and introduction of next-generation devices for active speakers and streaming audio systems.

We know many of our readers will enjoy this extended book review by our technical editor, Jan Didden, about Bob Cordell’s Designing Audio Power Amplifiers, 2nd Edition. When Cordell published his long-awaited first edition of Audio Power Amplifier Design, it was hailed as a significant addition on the subject. Reactions of readers made it clear that Cordell hit his mark, and in this article, Didden explains why the long-awaited second edition is an essential buy. This review was originally published in audioXpress, October 2019.

Infineon Technologies broadened its CoolGaN series with two new devices: the CoolGaN 400 V and the CoolGaN 600 V. Gallium nitride (GaN) offers fundamental advantages over silicon, with outstanding specific dynamic on-state resistance and smaller capacitances compared to silicon MOSFETs. The new CoolGaN 400 V device will appeal to audio product designers looking for a premium solution for home or professional Class D amplifiers.