Thread Rating:
  • 1 Vote(s) - 2 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
This patent got published a few days ago.
#1
I understand little of it but there are more knowledgeable people here might find it interesting.
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2017/0207750.html

Zoltan


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Win10/HQPlayer / Roon - Uptone Audio Etherregen switch / SOtM-SMS-200 ultra with clock input - Mutec REF 10 clock for the switch and the streamer - Denafrips GAIA DCC - Devialet D800 - YG Acoustics Carmel - Dual Elac SUB-2090 
power supplies: Uptone JS-2, SOtM SPS-500
Reply
#2
(01-Aug-2017, 15:12)zdenes Wrote: I understand little of it but there are more knowledgeable people here might find it interesting.
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2017/0207750.html

Zoltan


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Could someone technical please explain this to us?

Guillaume
Industry disclosure: UK distributor for Shunyata Research

220 PRO, totaldac d1 server with additional external power supply, totaldac d1-seven, Echole PSU for Totaldac, Wilson Audio Sasha 2, Shunyata Research cables, Shunyata Hydra Alpha A10 + DPC-6 v3, Various Entreq ground boxes and cables, Entreq Athena level 3 rack, 2 X SOtM sNH-10G with sCLK-EX + 10MHz Master Clock input + sPS-500 PSU, i5 sonicTransporter w/ 1TB SSD

UK
Reply
#3
(01-Aug-2017, 15:20)GuillaumeB Wrote: Could someone technical please explain this to us?

Guillaume

How long have you got?
Roon Rock, Devialet 220 pro CI, Palmer 2.5 Turntable, AT OC9MLii, Classic Audio MC Pro Phono and Harbeth SHL5 Plus
Reply
#4
It looks to me like a patent for the V6 'Pro' specification ADH. Resulting in improved performance, less 'class A' use, more power and mitigates some issues with the original ADH over 10kHz. There's a lot there that is beyond me though! I'll read it again sometime when I have a bit more time, and a very large strong coffee!
1000 Pro - KEF Blade - iFi Zen Stream - Mutec REF10 - MC3+USB - Pro-Ject Signature 12
Reply
#5
(01-Aug-2017, 16:54)Confused Wrote: It looks to me like a patent for the V6 'Pro' specification ADH.  Resulting in improved performance, less 'class A' use, more power and mitigates some issues with the original ADH over 10kHz.  There's a lot there that is beyond me though!  I'll read it again sometime when I have a bit more time, and a very large strong coffee!

You´ll need it... and let us know the meaning of this.
Reply
#6
After a first pass through it, I think Confused was right on the money (as usual).  It's about an improvement to the ADH technology.  In a nutshell, the idea is to reduce the stress on the class A amplifier, particularly at higher audio frequencies, so that it has to deliver less current and therefore is more accurate.  This is done by adding a carefully designed loading network to the output of the class D amplifier.

Here's my attempt at translating the patent into something resembling normal English...with apologies for any misunderstandings on my part.  (By the way I think there may be several typos that escaped the proof-reader, which threw me a little on first reading.)

Figure 1 shows the class A amplifier (in the box marked 18) and the class D amplifier (19).  Their outputs are coupled to each other and the loudspeaker at point 14.  This is the ADH core of all Devialet amplifiers.  The class A amplifier is a very linear (accurate) voltage amplifier and the class D amplifier provides current to beef-up the output of the class A so it can drive real-world loads like loudspeakers.  The class D amplifier inherently produces an on-off, pulse-width modulated (PWM) output which is merged with the class A's inherently analog output via an inductor (32A/B in the figure).

The class D amplifier is switching at a high frequency - effectively 2 MHz in Devialet's design - which is an engineering compromise between two opposing factors.  First, at higher switching frequencies the class D amplifier is less efficient, i.e. generates more waste heat, because the transistors that implement the switches take a fixed time to turn on and off, during which they're dissipating lots of power (I x V).  To make the class D as efficient as possible, then, you don't want it to switch at too high a frequency.  On the other hand, at lower switching frequencies there is a higher ripple current through the inductor that couples the class D and class A amplifiers.  The class A amplifier has to absorb that ripple current, which stresses it, causes it to dissipate more heat, and makes it less accurate.

Interestingly as a side note there is a hint (in paras 0016-0018) that operating the ADH system in a bridged, configuration is one way to reduce this ripple current and thereby allow the class A amplifier to be more accurate.  Maybe that is a reason why the dual mono set up has a surprisingly large effect on sound quality, more than the increased power capability would suggest?

What the patent covers specifically is the addition of a damped RLC network (the components labelled 44x) that is carefully designed to reduce the ripple current at the class D switching frequency while having no noticeable effect at audio frequencies.  This new network is presumably in the Pro amplifiers, while the original D-Premier and Expert series just have a resistor, according to para 0020.

As a result of this new RLC network, the class A amplifier has to "deal with" much lower ripple current from the class D, which makes it both more accurate and less power-hungry.  I think this explains why Devialet said the Pro series sounded better because the current delivered by the class A amplifier was reduced relative to the class D.

Does that tally with anyone else's reading?
Roon (Mac Mini), Wilson Benesch Full Circle, Expert 1000 Pro CI, Kaiser Chiara
Warwickshire, UK
Reply
#7
Regarding the above post, I think it should definitely get this year's 'Best summary of a patent on a Devialet related forum' award. Excellent stuff Ian! Per my post #4 above, I did actually print the patent and spent some time carefully reading through it, making a few 'margin notes' along the way. All I can say is that Thumb5's post does pick up on each of the points that I thought were interesting enough to highlight. So as far as I can see, the key points are covered. That said, all this kind of stuff is a very long way from my own areas of expertise, maybe someone with some experience in the design of electronics might be able to glean something else of significance?

Perhaps the only thing I might add is the reference to a Zobel circuit (para 0083), but it looks like this is used in a very traditional way, so not really part of the new ADH technology which forms the basis of the patent.

One less technical thought is that the Patent does make reference to the original D-Premier technology, but does not actually mention 'V6' or Pro. So based on the dates, I am thinking that there is no reason why this new ADH technology might not also be used in the Phantom Gold or even the Devialet Skybox.

As a general point, and picking up from Thumb5's post, I think all this does give some insight into why the Pro performs better than the Expert and indeed into the very clever thinking and design work that makes this happen. Drifting into optimist mode for a moment, I can only hope that a little bit of the clever thinking has found its way into the new Devialet OD Core Infinity board. We can only hope!

A final thought goes out to O'dA owners who might be wondering if the Pro update is worth going for, maybe the unique innards of the Od'A make it something special. Apparently one dealer has claimed the 1000 Pro sounds 'colder' than the Od'A. All I can say is that when I read the above, in a strange way what I have been observing living with the 1000 Pro for a few months after the old D800, the words in the patent do actually make sense with respect to explaining the technical improvements behind what I have been hearing, more detail, simply incredible resolution etc. This seams an odd thing to write, but it does genuinely make sense to me in my strange little head.
1000 Pro - KEF Blade - iFi Zen Stream - Mutec REF10 - MC3+USB - Pro-Ject Signature 12
Reply
#8
(05-Aug-2017, 08:31)Confused Wrote: A final thought goes out to O'dA owners who might be wondering if the Pro update is worth going for, maybe the unique innards of the Od'A make it something special.  Apparently one dealer has claimed the 1000 Pro sounds 'colder' than the Od'A.  All I can say is that when I read the above, in a strange way what I have been observing living with the 1000 Pro for a few months after the old D800, the words in the patent do actually make sense with respect to explaining the technical improvements behind what I have been hearing, more detail, simply incredible resolution etc.  This seams an odd thing to write, but it does genuinely make sense to me in my strange little head.

As far as I know much of what is described in this patent applies to the O d'A too.

The main difference between 1000 Pro and O d'A (apart fro the obvious colour) is the improved thermal management of the 1k Pro. Other than that everything else is identical. 

Before anyone snaps at me this is what Devialet told me in writing. 

Guillaume
Industry disclosure: UK distributor for Shunyata Research

220 PRO, totaldac d1 server with additional external power supply, totaldac d1-seven, Echole PSU for Totaldac, Wilson Audio Sasha 2, Shunyata Research cables, Shunyata Hydra Alpha A10 + DPC-6 v3, Various Entreq ground boxes and cables, Entreq Athena level 3 rack, 2 X SOtM sNH-10G with sCLK-EX + 10MHz Master Clock input + sPS-500 PSU, i5 sonicTransporter w/ 1TB SSD

UK
Reply
#9
So, this is related to Pro series technology (ADH) and nothing new or improvement to come?
Reply
#10
Yes, although the patent doesn't explicitly say so, it seems to describe one of the improvements incorporated in the Pro series.
Roon (Mac Mini), Wilson Benesch Full Circle, Expert 1000 Pro CI, Kaiser Chiara
Warwickshire, UK
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)