Discrete? Class A?

I see alot of gear that uses discrete circuits and class A electronics. Do these things automatically make the gear high end? What does class A and discrete really mean?

For example, the new Presonus Eureka mic pre says it is Class A. Does this mean it is going to be a killer mic pre? Has anyone tried the Eureka yet?

I own a Focusrite Octopre Class A preamp, it sounds good but it's not as professional as other preamp in Class A that i have.
Go and listen!
Bye Mancio

www.digitallcube.com

Whoops, forgot the other part.... "Discrete" refers to the ability to selectively ignore certain metal conductivity. Discrete should really be called "discriminating".

Hi Mr Ease, sorry about that, I dont wanna mislead anyone. Im just a high school kid trying learn the audio crafts from my dad who is an engineer. I just asked him and he laughed, lol. He told me I what I was talking about is called metal discrimination whereas discrete is what you said. Oh well, I better check up before posting again!

ORIGINAL: jho

Whoops, forgot the other part.... "Discrete" refers to the ability to selectively ignore certain metal conductivity. Discrete should really be called "discriminating".

???

I believe that the use of the word 'discrete' relative to amplifiers means separate semiconductor components (transistors, gates, diodes, etc.) rather than integrated circuits.

For those not familiar with the technical details of electronics, an integrated circuit is a small package (usually called a 'chip') that contains a very dense layout of semiconductor components. In the case of a microprocessor, a chip may contain millions of transistors, but audio chips generally contain much less.

A few of the advantages of integrated circuits are small size, low power, and low cost which make them ideal choices for consumer grade audio equipment. In the early days of integrated circuits, they suffered from an inferiority complex when compared with the tested and true design techniques of discrete components. After several decades of development, this distinction has virtually disappeared as modern engineering and manufacturing techniques have vastly improved the quality in all aspects of performance.

One area where discrete components are still preferred is in high-power stages. The inherent low-power and small size of integrated circuits makes them less desirable for use in output stages in high-end audio equipment. A well-designed discrete component system should easily be able to out-perform an integrated circuit system and hence the distinction as to why discrete circuits are preferred. The disadvantage of course, is that discrete components will take up more space, consume more power and be more expensive.

(oops - while I was composing this response the three above it were posted).

I think both 'discrete' and 'class a' are used to describe a escort service in the phone book.

I don't know what got into me... Hey it's my day off.

cAPS

Wogg,

Class A amplifiers do not necessarily just use a single "active" device. As an design engineer for over 30 years I do not agree that class A is marketing hype, rather it is a (fairly) precise description of the mode of operation commonly used by engineers. It certainly helps me to evaluate a designs aims, although as you say, that does not mean Class A = Good. In general a well designed discrete class A design should have the edge over general purpose IC op-amp designs, as the noise performance can be more carefully defined. There are however some excellent "custom" IC designs around. These normally have the disadvantage of higher cost unless you use HUGE volumes.

I have no idea how to design a "digital ready" amplifier.