Amplifier Capacitance

Thank you for a marvelous reply! This explains quite a lot to me, especially using a combo of larger and smaller caps for nimbleness as well as keeping a large reserve. I forgot that I had seen this before and wondered why.

I still have some questions though. How does the amp draw power from the PS and caps? In other words, are the caps charged then remain as a reserve while the PS powers the amplification? Then the caps are simply drawn upon during the difficult moments that exceed the PS capabilities? OR is it something more like a cycle of the PS charging the caps and the caps supplying the power for amplification. As such, as power is pulled from the caps it is replaced by the PS and during the intense moments the amp can use as much power as is available in the caps while the PS recharges the caps? Or am I completely off?

I am also wondering why my idea for "bonzo" caps would be harmful for the PS, but I have an idea or two why this might be the case. I had assumed that extra large caps would allow a modest PS to deal nicely with heavy transients. OTOH, having expended that charge, this modest PS would have to recharge my "bonzo" caps AND continue to supply amplification power. This is why it would cause damage isn't it? It would essentially push the PS to it's limits far too often?

I'm an engineering newb (actually, newb would be generous) but I've been trying to learn more lately, so I apologize if some of these questions seem remarkably stupid. Of course, it is nice being 'remarkable'. ;)

Thanks, Aaron

This is more than I could have hoped for--in a good way--and I am extremely grateful! It will take me a little while to digest this, but there is a point mentioned by Atmasphere that I might be able to relate to. I recently bought an NAD 2600 with a disclosed possible flaw--a "thump" when it turns on and off. I got it for about $100, so it think it was a reasonable price. Amp plays great, but that on/off sound isn't so nice. So I had posted about this to confirm this was an issue and not just "the way this amp is" and someone confirmed this was a flaw. So my question is: is this the 'motorboat' thump to which you are referring Atmasphere, or is this a different problem?

It is nice to be able to start to diagnose these problems. This is one of the reasons I've started to try to learn about amps. I'll never be a deisgner by any stretch of the imagination, but for years I've enjoyed working with my hands building computers and doing odd repairs on things like motherboards, replacing caps, etc. So I can do it but there is a tremendous difference between "take out part, replace with same thing" and "take out part, replace with something different". At least to me it is way different. Anyway, I've got three amps that require attention that I may venture a repair on: two I bought that way for cheap, cheap (an Adcom GFA-5400 & an NAD-2600) and a Hafler DH220 that was bought working but damaged in shipping (I didn't actually want three projects, but owell, c'est la vie).

Okay, back to digesting this info.... Aaron

I'm still working on some of this conversation, but could someone explain "time constant" to me? I'm assuming this is something like what it sounds, but I'm not sure. It sounds almost as if amplifier power supplies work like CPUs in the sense that they have clear cycles and clocks that designers must take into account to keep everything running. I don't know if the analogy holds, but it sounds similar to me.

I'm starting to realize just how much I DON'T know about power supplies. Wow. And I am the knowledgable one among my friends. Eeeeek!

Kijanki, thanks for that explanation, it was excellent. Do you teach electrical engineering by any chance? You, bombaywalla, and Atmasphere have done a magnificent job explaining very esoteric (to me) subjects. This is difficult to do, especially when speaking to a layman. I've taught college history now for 12 years and it can be daunting getting people to relate to human history, so I've always wondered how people in the sciences make their subjects more approachable and relatable. Discussing matters here certainly gives me an idea how this can be done as I've never encountered a group with the combination of technical savvy and possessing the ability/willingness to explain as here at Audiogon.