dæmpningsfaktoren

Dæmpningsfaktoren, often translated as damping factor, is a term used in electrical engineering and acoustics to describe the ratio of a load's impedance to the source's impedance in a system. It quantifies how effectively a power amplifier can control the movement of a loudspeaker's diaphragm. A high damping factor indicates that the amplifier has a low output impedance relative to the loudspeaker's impedance. This allows the amplifier to more effectively "dampen" or stop the diaphragm's vibrations after the signal has ceased.

In audio systems, a higher damping factor is generally considered desirable. It leads to a more accurate reproduction of sound, particularly in the bass frequencies, as it minimizes unwanted resonances and ringing in the speaker. When the damping factor is low, the amplifier struggles to control the speaker's cone, which can result in a muddy or boomy sound. The damping factor is typically calculated as the ratio of the speaker's nominal impedance to the amplifier's output impedance. For example, a common loudspeaker impedance is 8 ohms. If an amplifier has an output impedance of 0.05 ohms, the damping factor would be 8 / 0.05 = 160. Modern amplifiers often boast damping factors well over 100, contributing to their perceived sound quality.