Sony STR-GX80ES Technical Background - Page 6

Input (Digital) DSP D/A LPF convert Volume Control Analog Power Amp Speaker Output Digital Signal Analog Signal The conventional A/V receiver is anything but simple. The signal must run through a gantlet of processes and stages. The Sony S-Master Pro amplifier is dramatically different. There is no Digital-to-Analog (D/A) converter. Instead, the amplifier accepts all digital signals directly, whether they're multi-bit Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) or 1-bit Direct Stream Digital™ pulses from Super Audio CD. Even analog inputs are converted to DSD. The output of the S-Master Pro amplifier goes through a single Low Pass Filter to provide the wattage that drives the speakers. In this way, the signal remains digital until the last possible instant. Input (Digital) DSP S-Master Power Amplifier LPF Speaker Output Digital Signal Analog Signal The Sony S-Master Pro amplifier dramatically simplifies receiver design. And in high fidelity, simpler is better. The S-Master power amplifier generates a 1-bit pulse stream to switch pairs of MOS FET power output transistors on and off. The resulting output has more than enough wattage to drive a loudspeaker. The output transistors act like an on/off switch for the power supply voltage. The Low Pass Filter (LPF) converts the amplified pulses to a smooth, continuous analog waveform. The S-Master 1-bit pulse stream has much in common with the Direct Stream Digital signal that Sony developed for Super Audio CD. If you look ES Receivers v1.0 Page 6