MSK CLASSE A with electronic crossover and paragraphic equalizer

Steg

Discontinued

Your price:
€ 3500,00
Price per single item (VAT included)
Amplifier Type
2 channels
RMS Power 4 Ohm
2x100 Watt
RMS Power 2 Ohm
2x200 Watt
Crossover
Yes
Signal-to-Noise Ratio
101 dB S/N
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.8 % THD
Size
466x60x255 mm
Weight
7 Kg

High-End stabilized two-channel amplifier with electronic crossover and parametric equalizer. 2x400W RMS @4 ohm, 2x800W RMS @2 ohm, 1x1500W RMS @4 ohm, 1x3000W @2 ohm

MASTERSTROKE "CLASS A" is the most advanced today imaginable in the field of High-End car amplification. It embodies the goals of STEG research in the combination of innovative technologies, which operate with effectiveness and in absolute overall balance. The "CLASS A" employs circuit solutions such as the absence of Negative Feedback and Class A operation, techniques attributable exclusively to Home Hi-Fi. It introduces a surprising tuning tool, capable of refining the sound of the amplifier according to the audiophile's sensitivity.
Built at the state of the art, the "CLASS A" expresses itself in the finest car-audio sound. Tonal coherence, sweetness and three-dimensionality of the sound stage, deliver an enchanting listening experience, demonstrating the complete and unaltered reproduction of the original musical message.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Power 4 ohm stereo Watts RMS @ 11 - 14.4 Volt 100 x 2
Power 2 ohm stereo Watts RMS @ 11 - 14.4 Volt 200 x 2
Maximum Class A operating threshold Watts RMS @ 11 - 14.4 Volt 50 x 2
Minimum load impedance Ohm 2
Damping factor @ 4 ohm - 1 kHz - > 36
Input sensitivity Volts RMS 0.4 - 5.5
Input impedance kOhm > 5
Frequency response Hz -3 dB @ 1W 5 - 250.000
Linearity in band dB @ 1W, 20 - 20.000 Hz +- 0.2
Negative feedback ratio dB 0
Harmonic distortion (THD) % @ 50% max power, 1kHz < 0.8
Intermodulation distortion (DIM) % @ 50% max power, 1kHz < 0.12
Signal/Noise ratio dB @ 10W (A-weighted) > 101 (> 104)
Channel separation dB @ max power, 1kHz 73
Power supply voltage range Volt 10.5 - 16
Maximum stereo consumption @ 4ohm A -11/14.4 Volt 50 / 38
Maximum stereo consumption @ 2ohm A - 11/14.4 Volt 78.5 / 60
Idle consumption, no signal A @ 14.4 Volt 3.2
Fuse (external) A 100
Dimensions mm 460 x 60 x 255
Weight kg 7


ABSENCE OF NEGATIVE FEEDBACK

Amplification stages are extremely articulated electronic circuits, the interaction between the components combined with their physical/technological limitations and the complexity of the signal are among the numerous variables that contribute to producing undesired effects on system operation. The design of an amplifier, already demanding in itself, becomes more complicated when handling audio signals: the incoming musical information must remain unchanged throughout the entire process, to reappear complete with every micro-information on the amplified output; in this case, we can speak of "High Fidelity". Implementing this type of circuitry requires experience and deep knowledge of the technique, components and sound. Know-how to draw from in creating a balance between the many factors at play. There is a commonly used methodology that simplifies the design of an amplifier and consists of the use of Negative Feedback in order to fill the imperfections generated by the circuit during the amplification process. Feedback has a desensitizing function, limits inaccuracies due to imperfect design and prevents circuit defects from influencing overall electrical performance and technical characteristics. It acts through successive approximations, comparing the amplified signal (affected by distortions) with the original signal, modifying it by attenuating the defects accumulated along the amplification path; the effect proves extremely useful in common design but the modeling action acts on the originality of the musical information producing undesired effects on timbre, purity and sound transparency. The objective of the CLASS A project was to realize an amplifier without compromise, avoiding the use of expedients capable of correcting design errors was among the essential requirements. The CLASS A circuit has, among its main characteristics, the complete absence of Negative Feedback between input and output, the design effort required for this condition to be realized has been amply rewarded by the results. Without the compensations (present in the vast majority of amplifiers), the final output stage is extremely stable on every type of load. The absence of Feedback and the optimal sizing of all stages guarantee that, near clipping, the circuit saturates by operating a "soft" waveform distortion, thus avoiding the introduction of odd harmonics and, as in valve amplifications, listening does not fatigue even at high dynamics regimes. In amplifiers that employ Negative Feedback clipping is significantly more pronounced ("hard"), capable of affecting timbre with the introduction of odd harmonics that increase undesired spectral content.

CLASS A OPERATION The operation of an amplifier is defined as Class A when the active devices that constitute it conduct for the entire duration of the input signal period, that is, current flows through them for the entire signal oscillation, never becoming zero. Such behavior reflects positively on electrical and tonal characteristics since the active components that have the task of amplifying (bipolar transistors or MOSFETs) operate in the linear region of their characteristic curve; consequently they can best express their potential. For a conventional final stage to truly function in "A" class it is necessary that the output devices have a current flow such that, for a given rated power deliverable to a specific load, the shutdown of these devices is avoided under any condition. Class A therefore guarantees the best possible linearity but with very low efficiency due to the significant power dissipated. The efficiency of traditional Class A amplifiers hardly exceeds 10 ÷ 15%, from which we understand why Class A is reserved exclusively for domestic use. The realization of amplifiers of tens of watts constrains to dissipate considerable quantities of heat, therefore the use of bulky fins, incompatible with the reduced spaces, typical of car-audio applications.

H.E.A.R.T. - High Efficiency A-Class Regulation Technology With the objective of extending the benefits of Class A to car applications, we developed the H.E.A.R.T. circuit system, capable of minimizing the energy waste typical of amplifiers in this operating class. H.E.A.R.T. in broad terms, limits the power to be dissipated to that strictly necessary for the amplifier to operate in Class A, continuously adapts the electrical behavior of the amplification stage to the conditions of the signal and load at output, drastically increasing the overall efficiency of the system compared to traditional Class A amplifiers. This complex strategy acts without compromising in any way the tonal and electrical advantages related to this class of operation and ensures reproduction in "A" up to 50 Watts RMS for each channel.

REGULATION OF OPERATING CLASS AND DYNAMIC RESERVE THE CLASS A

is the first amplifier capable of making the listener interact with the type of sound reproduced by the audio system, the audiophile's subjectivity in fact, has been until now an unmanageable variable during the design phase. Although born with undoubted Audiophile inclinations, the CLASS A has considerable dynamic reserve, capable of satisfying the listener who appreciates "energetic" reproduction. Thanks to H.E.A.R.T., it operates up to 50 Watts RMS in pure Class A, exceeding this value, it is capable of delivering power up to over 100 Watts RMS per channel, switching to AB operating class. The upper part of the integrated heatsink includes a regulation that acts on the circuit biasing; by varying its position, the threshold is established that determines the transition from Class A to AB operation. The adjustment range can vary from 1 to 50 Watts, with the knob at mid-travel for example, the amplifier operates in Class A up to approximately 25 Watts and in Class AB from 25 to 100 Watts. Thanks to this adjustment it is possible to perform a sort of "tuning" of the system that, with the intervention on nuances and details, adapts to the listener's perception.

Scheda tecnica

20131126102910-classe-a.pdf
Discontinued