MOSFET based amplifiers as we all know are outstanding with their sound qualities and they can easily beat the performance of other counterparts based on power transistors or linear ICs.
Why use MOSFETs in Amplifiers
Amplifiers based on mosfets are not always easy to design or make.
Moreover after assembling a prototype, testing to perfection always remains an issue with new electronic hobbyists.
You might have come across many hi-fi complex mosfet amplifier designs, but might have not dared making it just because of the above reasons.
The simple mosfet amplifier circuit diagram is super simple to build and yet will provide you with a crystal clear 100 watts of raw music power that all the listeners will cherish for a long time.
The idea was developed a long time ago by the Hitachi researchers and still it remains one of the favorite designs of all time considering the involved simplicity against quality.
How the Amplifier is designed to Function
Looking at the figure we can understand the circuit with the following points:
- The involved simplicity would also certainly mean that some of the ideal features of the circuit was sacrificed in the design, for example it lacks a constant current source for the differential amplifier at the input stage of the amplifier.
- But this has no serious impact on the design, whatsoever..
- The differential amplifier makes sure that the input is sufficiently amplified to some reasonable levels suitable for feeding the next driver stage.
- The driver stage consists of a well balanced high voltage transistor stage which are necessarily positioned for driving the output power mosfets.
- The pot positioned in between the two sections of the driver stage is used for setting the quiescent current of the circuit.
- The output stage is a common push pull type of mosfet stage which finally provides the boost for amplifying the fed low signal music into a 100 watt thumping music over a 8 Ohm speaker.
- The shown parts might be obsolete today so may be replaced as follows:
- The differential transistor may be replaced with BC556.
- The driver transistors may be replaced with MJE350/MJE340.
- The mosfets may be replaced with 2SJ162/2SK1058
The below given diagram is the original design from Hitachi, see the preset arrangement for setting up the quiescent current. You must adjust this preset to set the quiescent current to zero before connecting the speaker.
I have modified the above design by adding a couple of 1N4148 diodes in place of the preset. This gets rid of the preset adjustments and allows the user to directly switch ON the amp with a speaker connected.
Parts List
Resistors
All resistors are 1/4 watt, CFR 5%, unless otherwise stated.
- 100 Ohm = 7nos
- 100k = 1no
- 47k = 1no
- 5.1k = 2nos
- 62k = 1no
- 22k = 1no
- 2.2k = 1no
- 12k = 1no
- 1k = 1no
- 4.7 ohm = 1no
- 0.2 ohm / 5 watts = 4nos
Capacitors
All capacitors must be minimum 100V rated
- 1uF = 1no Electrolytic
- 100uF = 3nos Electrolytic
- 15pF = 1no Polyester
- 30pF = 1no Polyester
- 0.22uF = 3nos Polyester
- 0.0068uF = 1no Polyester
Semiconductors
- Q1, Q2 = BC546
- Q3 = MJE350
- Q4, Q5 = MJE340
- Q6, Q7 = 2SK1058
- Q8, Q9 = 2SJ162
- 1N4148 = 2nos
Misc
Inductor = 1uH, 20 turns of close wound 1mm super enameled copper wire, with 10mm diameter (air core)
Note: The resistor, and capacitor values are not critical, slight up and down will do, and will not cause any harm to the performance of the amplifier
Parts, PCB Images and Prototype
1) The first image shows the PCB which was used for the 100 watt mosfet amplifier circuit project
2) The second pic shows the soldered portion of the assembled circuit.
3) The third pic illustrates the components side of the assembled board
4) The fourth image relates with a few of the components involved with the the circuit making.
5) The fifth figure witnesses the speakers which was used for testing the amplifier with astonishing levels of clarity and superb power outputs :p
I used only a couple of mosfets which could generate power outputs well over 100 watts RMS, connecting more numbers in parallel can easily enable this circuit to cross beyond the 1000 watts mark.
If you are intending to buy a ready made power amplifier for your home, I would suggest, you build this one instead and be the proud owner of this outstanding home built power amplifier unit which would probably serve you for years.
The Design which I Built
The circuit which I tested was taken from eeweb, and the diagram is shown below. It is similar to the above original design from Hitachi. However since this is the one which I have tested I would recommend you to go with this one.
Circuit Diagram with Magnified Part Values
PCB Track, and Component Layout Diagrams
Credit to the Original Creator
PCB Dimensions are 120 mm x 78 mm
Questions & Answers
you will need two 12V batteries for operating the above ampifier
yes, you can use them,
what's the current of your power supply? multiply it by 50, it will provide the peak watt of the amp.
what is the wattage of 100 ohm resistors?
1/4 watt
in above web site it is using 470 ohm for 2sk and 2sj transistors what is the wattage of them?
it doesn't make much difference, both are correct.
hello
i just need to get some things straight about the circuit because they're confusing
-what is the component right after the input? the 1u valued one? is that a capacitance too?
Q6,7,8,9 are mosfets while the others are bjts?
is 0.068u capacitance a preset value available for purchase or do i have to make it somehow?
and finally, what input should i put in exactly? how do i input a sound?
sorry for the many questions but i really need help with this 🙁
hello, nothing is confusing in the diagram.
yes it's a capacitor (electrolytic)
mosfets and BJTs can be easily distinguished from their symbols.
all components are readily available.
put music input from your cell phone.
okay thank you very much, i just have one more question
what is this component? is it a variable resistance?
imgur.com/xm2V0ok
also i tried checking the site you mentioned in another comment to understand the part replacements but i didn't really get it :/
are these replacements correct?
Q1 & Q2 – BC556
Q3 -?
Q4 – MJE350
Q5 – MJE340
Mosfet
Q6 & Q8 – 2SJ162 and
Q7 & Q9 – 2SK1058 ??
It's a preset which could be replaced with two 1N4148 diodes connected in series back to back, anodes up, cathodes down.
yes all the components are correctly selected for enabling high voltage operations,
upto 100V
Q3 = MJE350
Q4/5 = MJE340
thank you very much sir 🙂
How do i get pcb boards for soecific circuits like yours, is their any where i can submit schematics to get pcb boards to be designed so i can buy them
you will have to search for a PCB maker or company in your area, you can submit the design to the appropriate person and get it fabricated from there
None os in my country i just thought you knew a website for that
Hi, Swagatam
Thanks for directing me to this page I wanted to add a treble, bass and volume control for the above circuit can u tell me how it can be done and about the supply for the above ckt I just have a 24-0-24,5 amps transformer will this power be sufficient and if it is…can u help me with its rectification ckt diagram.Thanks in advance.
Thanks Aaronz,
for bass/treble you can try the 741 stage circuit shown in the following image:
3.bp.blogspot.com/-ymKuHf69dDk/UdmW_ybzAeI/AAAAAAAAEzk/sELvs1XZJY8/s1600/spectrum+analyzer+circuit.png
The C8 output can be then linked with the the input of the above mosfet amplifier through a 10k pot, this pot will then act like a volume control.
the center lead of the pot will go to the amplifier input lead, one of the outer leads of the pot can be connected with the ground of the supply, and the other free lead of the pot can be finally connected with the C8 out of the bass/treble stage.
for a better response pin4 of the 741 IC can be linked with the (-) of the supply instead of the ground which is shown in the bass/treble diagram.
24V-0-24V will be OK but will genearte only 120 watts, for higher watts upto 500 watt you may try using 100-0-100V trafo. but make sure the bass/treble stage does not get more than 15-0-15V for the IC 741
A 100-0-100V transformer or smps based power supply will be very hard to get out here in India, even impossible too. Swagatam why not give us a Simple 100Watt-RMS amp which uses a 12_0V like car amp does. Thank you.
Hi Swagatam,
Thanks for the info and now about the heat sink can u advise me as to which transistor needs heat sink and also can u tell me how to make a crossover for both high and low frequencies. Thanks in advance.
Hi Aaronz,
Only the FETs will need to be mounted on heatsinks.
You are genious Man! How can you answer all questions? You are great! Thanks
thank you Moon, it's all because of the good wishes and blessings of many kind and intelligent readers like you
Hi Swagatam,
At last I have assembled the ckt but before I could set the quiescent current the 0.2 ohms resistance started to smoke. Kindly give me
a detailed parts list(mentioning Ohms-volts/watts).I have used the following components
Resistors
1. 100 ohm (8 nos)
2. 0.2 ohm 1watt (4 nos)
3. 4.7 ohm 1/4 watts (1 nos)
4. 22k (1 nos)
5. 5.1k (2 nos)
6. 2.2k (1 nos)
7. 47k (1 nos)
8. 12k (1 nos)
9. 62k (1 nos)
10. 1k variable pot (1 nos)
Capacitors
1. 0.22u (3 nos)
2. 100uf capacitive (3 nos)
3. 0.68 (1 nos)
4. 15p (1 nos)
5. 1u (1 nos)
6. 30p (1 nos)
Inductor :- 1u (1 nos)
Diode:- 1N4148 (3 nos)
Transistors
Q1 & Q2 – BC556
Q3 – MJE 350
Q4 & Q5 – MJE340
Mosfet
Q6 & Q8 – 2SJ162 and
Q7 & Q9 – 2SK1058
Power supply
24-0-24/5amps transformer
Please give me full spec (ohms/volts/watts) for each components.
Warm Regards,
Aaron
Hi Aaron, I guess you have used the previous original circuit which had a 1k preset adjustment, OK in that case you can follow the following procedure.
Use two tiny bulbs rated at 100mA 24V or 50V, connect these in series with the (+) and the (-) input supply terminals, such that the supply passes through these before reaching the circuit.
When switched ON you will find these bulb lit up brightly….now you simply need to adjust the 1k preset until the bulbs just shut off….the quiescent current is set now.
the above must be conducted with the input of the amp shorted to ground and the output open.
alternatively you can replace the preset with two 1N4148 diodes as shown in the diagram and simply avoid the above hassle…….
Hi Swagatam,
I tried with input and output open (ie without grounding) and also connecting the bulbs before the circuit.But still the 0.2 ohms resistor at Q7 started to produce smoke. I feel that my component rating is not right (may be lower value).so I request you to provide me with the righr resistor,diode and capacitor ratings.
Thanks
Hi Aaron, the 0.22 resistor should be 3 watt rated and rest all can be 1/4 watt.
all capacitors must have a voltage rating that may be twice of the supply voltage, meaning if you are using 50-0-50V, then the capacitors must be rated at 100V each
However even if you connected 0.22, 1/4 watt it should not have burnt with a small bulb in series with the supply terminals, here's the image of the bulb you must try with:
These are also known by the name "rice bulbs"
Brother what is the frequency resposce of this Hitachi 100wtt ckt.min response to max response
It's around 10Hz to 20kHz
Hi Dear, This looks a very nice project to me will try soon.
Some question to pacify me:
1. Is this sound better than BJT
2. What class this is?
3. Will OP/AMP 072 tone circuit will improve quality over 741?
4. Will 10000uf/63 Volt do or have to increase uf for better result.
5. Can PCB be availed by you.
Tks
Lalit
Here are the answers:
1) sound quality cannot be better than BJT, but mosfets can save space as these are capable of handling huge power compared to BJTs.
2) I am not sure about the class…could be classB
3) our ears won't be able to make out the difference between 741 an 072 quality
4) same as above
5) PCB is not available with me.
I built the newer version of this amp from the article but I am not getting any sound out I use only 1 pair of Fets to test it I am using Irfz44n and Ifr4905 the Ifr4905 gets slightly warm when its plugged in but I cant seem to find my fault in the wiring if I hold the signal wire and touch the ground itself I will here a slight hum from my speaker connected but thats all, also I only powered it from 14v +/- for testing purpose.
When I built it started working immediately with extremely high clarity and super high volume.
you will need to use the recommended PCB and all the parts as given in the original design for enabling a proper working of the system
the reason I didnt try the version you had was because in the comments I think you refered someone to the original designer of the circuit for the updated version so I tried it. also I actually want to add mire Fets to it because I need a 2000W amplifier unless I could just use the pcb for the first section of the circuit and the place added fets seperate
the circuit which I referred has a recommended PCB with it…actually both the circuits are one and the same, in fact the linked circuit was inspired from the above original circuit from Hitachi
Some Parts are different but lets Ignore that, what I am saying is the Pcb would need to be improved because I would need to step up to power from 100w to atleat 2000w so I would need more FETS, you didnt reply to that
technically, both are exactly identical.
you said your basic circuit did not work, so first succeed with the basic 4 mosfet version and then you can think of upgrading it for higher outputs.
Ok I actually only used 2 output Fets but I didnt think that would be a problem why I wasnt hearing any sound from it
still it should have worked, please follow exactly what's mentioned in the referred linked article…you can download the PCB layout and try the amp on the PCB, just as I did for my prototype and succeeded
I am going to pull up the circuit I built on the proto type board and start again and ensure no mistakes. I have never done a Pcb so I am not even sure which way to go using that method I normally use Veroboard. A Pcb Manufacturer needs gerber files to make a board and the pic in the article its file is Gif So I am assuming I have to converter it to gerber to submit to a website
OK, that'll be fine…provide the downloaded zip file to the PCB manufacturer, that should be enough for him to convert the given info into a practical PCB…if ot then you can approach some other more efficient source
Ok then I will try but in the mean time I have all the parts and I keep trying to make it work, I even tried in on a new bread board with new wires thinking it was a connection problem but still nothing, the only time I hear a hum of any sort is when I use my finger to touch the zener diodes I hear a hum from the speaker, I was wondering If I should just build it on a Vero board because I reall need it this week and a pcb will take so long because of my location, I am wondering If I should just use the parts from the older version in the circuit in this article
In bread board the possibility of a connection fault is more likely than on a PCB….moreover mosfets prefer short connections and therefore work better on correctly designed PCBs.
Veroboard can also be problematic due to their closely etched pads which can cause hidden short circuits or stray inductances
one of the best electronics sites and Swagatam you are the greatest blogger, electronics PRO i have ever came across bcos i really really appreciate you support for a new beginners in electronics like me and lots of others bcos you give us hope by answering our questions because a pro like yourself will never ask questions which we the beginners in electronics don't understand and needs helps, YOU ROCKSSSSSSS, SIR KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK. BTW i have a 400watt-RMS mono mosfet amp and the required VDC is 56-0-56VDC its very hard to find even a 45-0-45VCD so i am wondering why can't pro's like you and others design an amp like car amp which uses a 12-0-VDC no matter how big is the amp wattage, because this is just a 100 Watt MOSFET Amplifier but the downfall is the power it requires is 56VDC and as i said even a 45-0-45VDC SMPS based power supply is very hard and expensive to get out here in our country India anyways thank you sir you are a great and a very kind man too, appreciated.
Thanks Lima, I am glad you liked my website.
Amplifiers and inverters are generally rated with higher operating voltages so that the current (amp) rating could be lowered….as we know that Watt = V x I, that implies if the voltage goes low, the current has to rise and vice versa.
Lower voltage and higher current spec would mean the amplifier getting bigger and bulkier in size and unnecessarily heating up.
This is why the above explained 100 watt amplifier could be directly upgraded to 300 watt amp simply by increasing the operating voltage to 75V or 90V…
conversely if the above amp was operated with a 12V then the current required would had to go up to 100/12 = 8 amps, causing a substantial amount of heat generation and involving large heatsinks.
Therefore to avoid this high watt devices are preferably powered with higher voltages and lower current supplies.
You are most welcome. OK, so HIGHER-VOLTAGE+SMALLER-AMPERAGE=LESS-OVER-HEATING of the amp yes(: maybe this is the reason why i see most car amps no matter what the brand is, it gets hot because of less-voltage it uses(like 12VDC car battery) anyways Thank you so very much Swagatam for this great info and great site, for some couple of years i totally lost interest in electronics because the only info i am able to get is from the net (i don't get much time to go to electronics training institutes because i am employed) but as you know, guys out there who publish articles based on electronics, they never answer our questions but sir you just gave me new hope to continue learning electronics. Keep up the great work for new beginners like me and all around the globe.
that's right Lima, it's the amps that is responsible for generating the heat….just divide watts with volts to get amps and try to keep this as low as possible in any power circuit.
you can feel free to comment here and share your thoughts with the folks around and me.
Any SINGLE SUPPLY high power(about 100 watts) amplifier sir?
you can try the following or any other similar
/blog/2017/01/70-watt-high-efficiency-power-amplifier-circuit-using-ic-tda1562.html
Hello dear swagatam ji
I'm a Mechanical Engineer. I am unable to find the name of some component and specifications.
It is my request to you plz share the complete list of component with their specification.
I will be very great full to you.
Thank you
Vivek
Hello, Vivek, I'll try to update a detailed parts list soon…