Audio Amplifier | Simple & Powerful

This amplifier is simple but pretty powerful, it uses just one MOSFET transistor in it.

Step 1: Watch the Video!

Step 2: Get the Main Components for This Project

1. MOSFET transistor IRF540N (you can use similar N-Channel MOSFET)
2. 47K 0.25W or 0.125W (it is not critical, you can use a 10K - 100K resistor)
3. 12 Volts 21 Watt light bulb. A light bulb works as a powerful resistor. It is difficult to find for example a 21W resistor, that is why I use a lightbulb instead. You can use 1W - 40W light bulb. The more powerful light bulb you use the more powerful amplifier you'll get. But for a powerful amplifier you will need a powerful power source as well, and a big heatsink.
4. 4.7uF capacitor. (2.2uF to 10uF capacitors will work fine as well)
5. 1000uF capacitor. (470uF to 2200uF capacitors will work fine as well.

Both capacitors should be 16V or higher!

IRF540N MOSFET: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_AFz5Pf

Resistors: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_9AslPB

Electrolytic Capacitor: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_A2atvx

Step 3: Get Additional Components

1. Audio jack
2. Heatsink
3. Wires

Step 4: Assemble Components According to the Circuit

Step 5: Check the Wiring

Step 6: Connect a Power Source

The power source can be a 12V battery or a 12V DC power supply.

If you use a 21W lightbulb then your power supply has to provide at least 2A of current.

After you connect the power, the lightbulb should turn on.

Step 7: Enjoy Result

Comments

[sekarsaravanan532]

What is the speakars sizes

[Wicked415]

I would much appreciate 2 questions being answered; how would I go about searching relative (audio amp) transistors? ... Are they all "IRF..." OR " LM... " types? Do I search for "Mofset" types? I also would appreciate (simple) schematics for including the TDA7266AS dual bridge amplifier in a 7Wx7W Bluetooth speaker diy prototype. As well, does the voltage rating on capacitors matter in this type of application as long as it meets or exceeds the voltage in its circuit? Advice please! Thank you.

[RaymondR6]

Nice and simple design. But I suggest adding some comments on how does this Class A amplifier works. The theory behind the design is important not for just explaining how it operates, but it gives hints to improve the design, and helps identify the problem and solve it if it doesn't operate.

[JohnC430]

so why dont you explain it. you know it s a class A amp so describe the operation... be helpful. ure not "taking away" from the author.

[JoeB95]

The lightbulb filament has a huge range in resistances depending on the current flowing through it and is quite non-linear. Regardless for a fun and simple project for kids, this is great.

[JohnC430]

what is "huge"? at full power it is 7 Ohms and with no power it is higher, but how high can it go? 15 Ohms????

[nikitaweka]

You say it`s powerfull but don`t mention what power it is or even how to calculate its power in watts.
Also it`s all very well saying in the ciircuit diagram "to phone jack" but you don`t show how the wires are conected in the stereo jack as you only have one chanel of the stereo phone socket connected to the speaker.

[JohnC430]

o.25W

[michael_tranquilla]

What is the minimum ohm speaker that can be used with it?

[JohnC430]

2 Ohms

[samm008]

I made your simple but very interesting project last night and it was fantastic. The sound quality is remarkably good and the sound level is big enough to hear from the adjoining room, even after the door is closed. But I did some changes to your original design to suit my expectations after doing some calculations and following trial and error method. I achieved the best result by the following changes,

I did not use 12V power but used only two 18650 batteries (about 7V) as I always prefer to use 18650 in my small projects. I replaced the light bulb with an 8.2 Ohm 7W wire wound resistor. Used a 4700 MFD capacitor to couple the speaker. Used two 3.3 kilo Ohm resistors to make the stereo sound source to the mono amplifier input.

Even at a fairly high volume level, two batteries ran for more than 4 hours to show a noticeable power loss. Heat generated by the resistor and MOSFET was hardly noticeable. Hoping to build the stereo version in the future.

This is truly a good project for kids and Tronics beginners.
Thanks for publishing this wonderful project.

[californiakayaker]

This is my favorite of the single component amps.

[ElectricalProjects]

My favorite probably with TDA2822M, it is the first amplifaier I've build using IC.

[Chydzim]

I made something like this for stereo speakers. Why it doesn't work? :(

[JohnC430]

Your power supply and the speakers are more then enough for this project. The G-S threshold voltage for the IRF540 is between 2 and 4 volts. below this the transistor is shut off.
You need to make sure the input signal is not too high or the amp will start clipping and the sound will be distorted.
The light bulb is a good idea to get a high power resistor but its value is also very unstable. Also it should be a 12V light bulb (car brake lights etc) In the video at 3:12 you will notice that the light bulb is on before he connects the signal and another important item is: DONT forget the heatsink.
This is not intended to get Hi-Fi. it is a nice fun project to learn something about electronics. Good luck.

[Chydzim]

Actually, I'm new in electronics and I have made this circuit not to get a good quality audio, but to learn something new and turn on old speakers. The next step for me is better stereo amplifier which can handle my speakers. Do you have any circuit diagram like that which costs less than 10-15$? In diagram from this topic, the most expensive ones were MOSFET (~1,7$) and radiators (~1,5$).

[ElectricalProjects]

Hi, The circuit is Ok, it should work. How does it behave when you connect it to the power? First, make one channel work, and then add another channel. When you connect this circuit to power the light bulb should turn on (if it doesn't, test your light bulb, if the bulb is OK, then MOSFET is probably dead.)
If light bulb turns on after you connect the power then test your MOSFET more: Connect a piece of wire between "gate" and "source" (labeled as "G" and "S" on the circuit). After connecting the wire, the light bulb should turn off. If it doesn't turn off it means MOSFET is dead. Need more information to tell more...

[Chydzim]

I use 12V cable from an old 400W PC PSU to power the circuit. Maybe 12V for stereo is not enough? When I connect it to PSU, both light bulbs turn on, and speakers are doing funny noise for a split second (that's normal, it means they turned on). When I plug jack into phone, the same thing happens. But when I play the music, it plays from phone, not from speakers.

After connecting wire, bulbs turn off. So both MOSFETs are working properly. I will try to make it again on the breadboard, maybe I have just done something wrong.

[ElectricalProjects]

I got it now, your phone does not recognize this device for some reason... try adding for example 100 Ohms resistors after the audio jack, between ground and right channel and between ground and left channel... I think that maybe your phone needs some real load, that is why I suggest adding resistors. You need to make your phone recognize the audio jack as a device. You did everything correct, but your phone thinks that nothing is connected.

[Chydzim]

I forced the phone to play audio through jack, and... It works! But I think it's not enough for my speakers, because they are playing quietly (as for them), and I can hear that sound is not 100% clear. Is there a way to extend the circuit to fix it? I have 300W speakers.