Sony STR-DA9000ES - Manual (Page 9)

ES Receivers v1.0 Page 9
o Instead of isolating the power amplifier because it runs too hot, the
amps can be located anywhere in the chassis that makes the most
sense.
o With this new freedom in locating the amplifier, the circuit paths
inside the chassis can be rationalized. In Sony's words, they can
be made "short, simple and straight."
• Minimum thermal modulation distortion. In traditional amplifiers, the
output transistors must reproduce the waveform directly. This means the
heat inside the transistors changes rapidly—getting hotter during the middle
ranges of the audio waveform when the transistor is inefficient. Unfortunately,
the changing heat can degrade the electrical performance of the transistor,
generating thermal modulation distortion. Because the S-Master Pro
transistors simply switch from full-on to full-off. There's almost no power
wasted as heat. So thermal modulation is held to a minimum.
• No crossover distortion. Conventional power amplifiers use separate
transistors to reproduce the upper and lower halves of the waveform. This
tends to generate the glitches of crossover distortion, which is particularly
audible when the music is soft. Because the S-Master Pro amplifier uses
pulse density, the output transistors do not generate the waveform. Any
switching glitches get removed from the music by the low pass filter. In this
way, the system is immune to crossover distortion, even when the music or
movie sound track is particularly soft.
• Superb open-loop performance. Traditional amplifiers typically generate
substantial distortion in "open-loop" mode. That's why analog amps use
Negative Feedback (NFB). Unfortunately, NFB exposes the signal to
Transient Intermodulation Distortion and other dynamic problems. In
contrast, the Sony S-Master Pro amplifier achieves excellent fidelity without
any negative feedback at all! Distortion remains low without any sacrifice in
transient and dynamic characteristics. Music comes alive.
Independent reviewers have heaped praise on Sony's S-Master Pro
amplifier. But you don't need a magazine review (or a white paper) to appreciate
the results. Use good speakers, a suitable disc player and a Super Audio
Compact Disc that you know well. Then sit back and listen carefully. Dynamics
are powerful but not forced. Bass is vigorous but not boomy. Music is rendered
in very high resolution, against a background of silky silence.
The 32-bit Upgrade
Where
the acclaimed STR-DA9000ES took advantage of 24-bit S-Master
Pro processing, Sony's latest design boasts the superior precision of Sony's 32-
bit processing. Sony proudly presents a masterpiece of integrated circuitry,
Sony's CXD9773Q Large Scale Integrated circuit (LSI).