Audio Transformer

Audio Transformers are designed for use in audio amplifier applications for coupling and impedance matching of amplifiers and speakers

As well as stepping up (increase) or stepping down (decrease) a signal voltage, transformers also have one very other useful property, isolation. Since there is no direct electrical connection between their primary and secondary windings, transformers provide complete electrical isolation between their input and output circuits and this isolation property can also be used between amplifiers and speakers. We have seen in this section about transformers, that a transformer is an electrical device which allows an sinusoidal input signal (such as an audio signal or voltage) to produce an output signal or voltage without the input side and output side being physically connected to each other. This coupling is achieved by having two (or more) wire coils (called windings) of insulated copper wire wound around a soft magnetic iron core.

When an AC signal is applied to the primary input winding, a corresponding AC signal appears on the output secondary winding due to the inductive coupling of the soft iron core. The turns ratio between the input and output wire coils provides either an increase or a decrease of the applied signal as it passes through the transformer. Then audio transformers can be considered as either a step-up or step-down type, but rather than being wound to produce a specific voltage output, audio transformers are mainly designed for impedance matching. Also, a transformer with a turns ratio of 1:1, does not change the voltage or current levels but instead isolates the primary circuit from the secondary side. This type of transformer is known commonly as an Isolation Transformer. Transformers are not intelligent devices, but can be used as bidirectional devices so that the normal primary input winding can become an output winding and the normal secondary output winding can become an input and due to this bidirectional nature, transformers can provide a signal gain when used in one direction or a signal loss when used in reverse to help match signal or voltage levels between different devices. Note also that a single transformer can have multiple primary or secondary windings and these windings may also have multiple electrical connections or “taps” along their length. The advantage of multi-tap audio transformers is that they offer different electrical impedances as well as different gain or loss ratios making them useful for impedance matching of amplifiers and speaker loads.

As their name suggests, audio transformers are designed to operate within the audio band of frequencies and as such can have applications in the input stage (microphones), output stage (loudspeakers), inter-stage coupling as well as impedance matching of amplifiers. In all cases, the frequency response, primary and secondary impedances and power capabilities all need to be considered. Audio and impedance matching transformers are similar in design to low frequency voltage and power transformer, but they operate over a much wider frequency range of frequencies. For example, 20Hz to 20kHz voice range. Audio transformers can also conduct DC in one or more of their windings for use in digital audio applications as well as transforming voltage and current levels at high frequency.

Audio Transformer Impedance Matching

One of the main applications for audio frequency transformers is in impedance matching. Audio transformers are ideal for balancing amplifiers and loads together that have different input/output impedances in order to achieve maximum power transfer. For example, a typical loudspeaker impedance ranges from 4 to 16 ohms whereas the impedance of a transistor amplifiers output stage can be several hundred ohms. A classic example of this is the LT700 Audio Transformer which can be used in the output stage of an amplifier to drive a loudspeaker.

We know that for a transformer, the ratio between the number of coil turns on the primary winding (N_P) to the number of coil turns on the secondary winding (N_S) is called the “turns ratio”. Since the same amount of voltage is induced within each single coil turn of both windings, the primary to secondary voltage ratio (V_P/V_S) will therefore be the same value as the turns ratio.

Impedance matching audio transformers always give their impedance ratio value from one winding to another by the square of the their turns ratio. That is, their impedance ratio is equal to its turns ratio squared and also its primary to secondary voltage ratio squared as shown.

Audio Transformer Impedance Ratio

Where Z_P is the primary winding impedance, Z_S is the secondary winding impedance, (N_P/N_S) is the transformers turns ratio, and (V_P/V_S) is the transformers voltage ratio. So for instance, an impedance matching audio transformer that has a turns ratio (or voltage ratio) of say 2:1, will have an impedance ratio of 4:1.

Audio Transformer Example No1

An audio transformer with a turns ratio of 15:1 is to be used to match the output of a power amplifier to a loudspeaker. If the output impedance of the amplifier is 120Ω. Calculate the nominal impedance of the loudspeaker required for maximum power transfer.

Then the power amplifier can efficiently drive an 8-ohm speaker.