sunfire TGA 7200

olilugo

Hi all,

Does anyone know why this sunfire amplifier is so light?

I am looking at its specs and the average amplifier is north of 80lb for a 5 to 7 channel 200w -8ohm
The sunfire is only 34lb?

Is funfire using a new technology that lets them produce high current amplifiers with lighter components?

cfrizz

I have a Sunfire 5 channel amp as well. The reason I got it is because it only weighs 43lbs! It's the only 5 channel amp I can physically manage.

Some say that they are digital amps that is why they are so light.

Quite frankly I don't know or care, I just know that all my speakers sound outstanding with them being powered by it!

So if the weight of the amp is a concern to you as it was for me, get the Sunfire!

Monster Jam

I'm no electrical engineer, but I believe the reason why it is light (and the reason why it has little heat output and is thus considered "efficient") is because it is a class D amplifier.

Class A and A/B amps, at similar wattages, or considerably heavier and get hotter as well.

Many make the assessment that a heavier amp is a better amp (or at least better built) and amp companies capitalize on this misconception; they literally advertise that they 50-ton tank is shipped in a wooden crate.

Need to know which amp is better, or which one suits your needs best? Test the amps out if possible. Or at the very least, talk to those knowledgable who stand nothing to gain from you.

mulveling

That amp, along with all the Sunfire amps, is not at all like the class D digital amps. Both put out a lot of power with little heat, but go about it in very different ways. The Sunfire looks to be a traditional AB amp section with an untraditional power supply.

Basically what you'll got from reading the Sunfire's whitepaper (severely paraphrased):
"By continuously varying the power supply's voltage according to the input signal, heat dissipated across the output transistors is great reduced".

So, apparently this allows them to get away without those big heavy heatsinks/chassi found in a traditional amp of similar rated output power.

BTW, Outlaw's M200 monos did something sorta similar, but way less advanced - they had just two rail settings, low for when demands were kept under 80W, and high for anything above 80W up to the rated 200W.

Let's see... in the past I've owned a class AB, a class D, and a Sunfire; I've also owned the Outlaw M200. Now I own a class A/AB but I'm about to ditch sand for good and jump to tubes (VAC Musicbloc). Go figure

olilugo

mulveling where can I find a good glossary as to what does it mean to be a class ? amplifier.
I see you quoted class AB, class D, class A/AB how many classes are there and what does these classifications mean.

Thanks,

Gaara

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_amplifier

There is class A B A/B D G T...and many different varients of each. Ex. Class D you have your hypex, nuforce, icepower...etc.