50-watt power amplifier

50W power amplifier

This simple audio power amplifier was originally designed for a circuit board workshop hosted by an OSU IEEE student group. In the workshop, 20 participants each built the amplifier by etching and drilling holes in a single-sided circuit board, soldering all components, and installing a pre-built heatsink assembly with the output transistors. Three workshops were held between 1995 and 1996. Despite their simple design, these amplifiers exhibited impressive performance, with a frequency response of approximately 40 kHz, very low noise, a fairly fast slew rate, and approximately 50 watts (true “RMS” power) using a suitable +/- 40 volt unregulated power supply.