Amplifier Input Impedance


Why are so many high-power solid state amps designed with such low input impedances. Doesn't that really low input impedance limit the range of pre amps that can be used? Are there technical reasons why designers make these impedances so low? Why not design your muscle amp with a really high input impedance so it will potentially work well with all pre amps?
stickman451
Hi Atmasphere, what is your opinion for a impedence match for a 100Kohm solid state amp that I do have, no matter a pre-amp is tube or solid state?, what impedences will work to best effect for both tube and solid state pre-amps?, Thankyou.
Audiolabyrinth, if you have an amplifier, tube or solid state, with a 100KOhm input impedance, any preamp tube or solid state will work with it.

The general rule of thumb is that the source have an output impedance that is no more than 1/10th of the value of the load.

But there is a caveat- if there is a coupling capacitor at the output of the preamp, the value of the cap will interact with the output impedance of the preamp- meaning that it may be considerably higher at 20Hz than it is at 1000Hz. For this reason I feel that the output impedance at 20Hz is an important value, as it can effect apparent bass response (FWIW our preamps have the same output impedance at 2Hz, 1KHz, 10KHz and 100KHz).

If the output impedance is higher at 20Hz than 1KHz, you may experience a lack of bass with amplifiers that have a low input impedance.
Thankyou Ralph, You are the man in my book!, I do learn alot from you and Almarg, the both of you gentleman are a asset to us all!, I agree, my 100kohm amp does not lack in bass at all., help me out here, what is 1/10th of 100kohms?
help me out here, what is 1/10th of 100kohms?
Audiolabyrinth
that would be 100KOhms = 100,000 Ohms divided by 10 = 10,000 Ohms or 10KOhms.

The general principle here is that when the output impedance of the preceeding unit is 1/10th the input impedance of the proceeding unit, the output impedance of the preceeding unit has little effect on the (music) signal transfer - you get 90%+ of the (music voltage) signal to transfer & there is (very) little loss.
hope this helps.