True Digital amplification

True digital amplification

In close collaboration with some of the finest minds working in the field of digital technology, Steinway Lyngdorf has developed and advanced high-end digital amplification over the past decades. The speed, precision and incredible dynamic range of this proprietary technology took the world by storm when it was introduced in 1998, creating a musical experience against a background of completely “black” silence to enhance the finest musical details. The first product to bring this new technology to market was the benchmark-setting and iconic Millennium amplifier, developed by the Lyngdorf engineers. The technology is the basis for all Lyngdorf TDAI and Steinway Lyngdorf power amplifiers today.

Digital signal processing right up to the speaker outputs

As conventionally defined, the Lyngdorf TDAI and Steinway Lyngdorf power amps do not amplify at all. Instead of a conventional D/A converter in the input stage, true digital amplifiers are digital-to-analog converters with sufficient power (current and voltage) to drive loudspeakers directly. This eliminates hundreds of active and passive components and signal paths in the analog domain, which are a major source of noise, hiss, crosstalk, and distortion. Right up to just before the speaker outputs, the signal processing is handled 100% in its original digital domain, allowing to deliver the full musical potential. This makes more sense than ever, since nowadays almost all music is recorded, produced, distributed and streamed digitally. Only a single coil and capacitor is employed in the output stage to create a 60 kHz second-order low-pass filter, generating the analog signal to drive the loudspeakers. To improve signal purity further, this technology is an open-loop amplifier with zero negative feedback.

Lossless volume control sets the gain in the output stage

Lyngdorf TDAI and Steinway Lyngdorf amplifiers feature a unique lossless volume control. When turning up the volume wheel to increasethe volume level, the output voltage of the power supply is simply raised. To decrease the volume level, the output voltage of the power supply is reduced. This means that the volume control includes no active circuitry, making it an ideal method for an uncompromising, fully lossless volume control. Simplicity is the keyword for its design. In comparison, every conventional amplifier attenuates the incoming audio signal already in the input stage, only to amplify that attenuated signal again in the output stage – while also amplifying all side effects such as noise, hiss, crosstalk, and distortion. 

Advantages of Steinway Lyngdorf digital amplification

The advantages of true digital amplification are immediately clear. The sound is stunning, clear and articulate, with fantastic soundstage and dynamics. The dead-quiet background is an added benefit and lets every music detail shine. The unusual, unlimited dynamic range at lower volumes is yet another unexpected benefit of the design. Steinway Lyngdorf’s exclusive, patented digital technology results in a musical immediacy with astounding levels of silence, transparency and naturalness. Our advanced algorithms ensure absolutely linear conversion and the highest possible audio fidelity. Operating fully in the digital domain also allows a complete digital control center, incorporating digital crossover settings, speaker eq, customized Voicings, and RoomPerfect™ room correction with unconstrained sound.

Highly energy efficient

All this sophisticated technology is housed in a space-saving amplifier design with passive cooling for minimum noise pollution to the environment. The efficiency and power factor is close to 1, meaning almost all of the amplified music signal goes to the loudspeakers. In comparison, conventional amplifiers have a power factor between 0.4 to 0.7 where the rest gets wasted in idle power consumption and heat. Lyngdorf electronics require no heatsinks for heat dissipation, the amplifiers are extremely lightweight with a stylish, sleek exterior.