AVALON
NEWSLETTER - Page 2 |
| The
Avalon Sound - Part 1 |
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Why does Avalon
recording equipment have that exciting, big, rich sound? Is it the
Class A operation? Is it the fact that the amplifier stages are
made of discrete components and not IC op-amps? Why does Avalon
cost more than the “colored variety” of consumer level
processors? These are a few of the questions asked over the years
as Avalon has reached a more diverse range of clients including
high-end music recording studios, live sound reinforcement and project
studios - all seeking “that special sound.”
Many of our customers are not engineers and don’t know the
difference between a transistor and a diode (and don’t care
to learn.) However many would like to know in layman terms how Avalon
breathes life into each and every product. The underlying principle
behind the Avalon sound is a cumulative effect of many decisions
made by Avalon’s founder Wynton Morro. |
At every
stage of development Wyn made his decisions based on sonic performance
and musical integrity - not cost. This “no compromise”
design approach enables Avalon’s carefully engineered systems
to enhance the creative senses and become one with the music itself.
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There are
three design principles that form the foundation for all Avalon
products.
1. Pure Class A, 100% discrete
2. High voltage, high current design
3. The best components available
Pure Class A, 100% discrete
Class A operation (voltage biased at optimal level), delivers a
much smoother and quieter sound than Class A/B (voltage jumps between
optimal and non-optimal levels, delivering crossover distorion)
designs. Class A amplifiers are smoother sounding, but are inefficient
in regards to electricity usage and heat dissipation. This translates
to needing a
larger and more expensive transformer and a way to dissipate the
heat to run in the preferred sounding Class A mode.
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100% discrete
means that Avalon uses discrete electronic components in the audio
signal path. Only resistors, transistors, capacitors, diodes, tubes,
etc. are used in the audio stream. Avalon does not use integrated
circuits (IC’s) such as operational amplifiers (op-amp’s)
to boost signal level. IC’s and op-amp’s have the distinct
characteristic of coloring, distoring, or muffling the sound. Using
discrete electronics ensures the purest and biggest sound possible.
Also IC’s and op-amps cannot run at high voltages.
To be continued. Part 2 in Summer issue... |
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