Electronics 101: Use of Negative Feedback; a Q


The topic of negative feedback (NF) has been beaten to death in other posts. Nevertheless, I have a question that touches on another aspect of NF that I do not recall having been explained. The Q starts in the middle of this OP.

By way of summary, many of our technical members explained why NF is used in amplifier circuits, e.g., extends bandwidth, helps to prevent oscillation, reduces distortion, reduces output impedance and therefore increases DF, and so forth. However, there is a cost.

Many of our technical members also explained that NF creates TIM (temporal intermodular distortion) because of the nano-second of time it takes for the NF circuit to tell the input circuit to make adjustments. TIM distortion results in distortion in odd-ordered harmonics (particularly the 5th, 7th and 9th) which our brains interpret as loudness, and in turn acoustic harshness.

Hopefully, I got the basics down. I'm sure my summary will be "clarified" by our techies.

But here's the Q (or 2). I read that NF also enables the amplifier (SS or tube) to regulate its output power to match a speaker's changing impedance stats as frequency changes. Could the tech members please clarify my understanding about this point.

It's kind of important because even though the subject of "tube friendly" and "tube unfriendly" speakers has also been killed, it would appear that electrical matching concerns between an amp and speakers having fluctuating impedance stats as a function of frequency may be mitigated in whole or part by using NF. Of course, I not suggesting that NF will compensate for a short or an open circuit, but somewhere in between there will be harmony. ;>')

Perhaps the technical members can put some "flesh on the bones" with respect to this Q.

I suppose the Q raises a related Q about amps (SS or tube) that do not use NF because of concerns pertaining to TIM distortion as mentioned. Great . . . the TIM distortion problem is solved if no NF is used. But how does the amp regulate its output power to compensate for fluctuating impedance curves?

Thanks.
bifwynne

Showing 1 response by gregm

I believe that Ayre SS amps do not use NF in the circuit design, (...)
I find that hard to believe, Ayre is a very serious constructor... Maybe what they are saying is there is no global FB, only local?
Is that all that is needed, low output impedances and the amp will be a champ??
Usually, a lowish impedance does yield good results if/ when the speakers are designed with that in mind. Many speakers are...
If not (take the Lowther based designs for example), then output impedance in the ohm range (rather than milli-ohm) would be better!