Nuvoton Technology Corporation announced the launch of the NAU83G60YG stereo smart audio amplifier integrating Klippel Controlled Sound (KCS) nonlinear adaptive speaker control technology developed by Klippel. This new high-performance audio solution for smart speakers, conference systems, professional audio, and automotive smart cockpit applications introduces relevant benefits for projects targeting low-distortion audio and AEC/ANC optimization.
Nuvoton Technology Corporation announced the launch of the NAU83G60YG stereo smart audio amplifier integrating Klippel Controlled Sound (KCS) nonlinear adaptive speaker control technology developed by Klippel. This new high-performance audio solution for smart speakers, conference systems, professional audio, and automotive smart cockpit applications introduces relevant benefits for projects targeting low-distortion audio and AEC/ANC optimization.
The new Nuvoton NAU83G60YG smart amplifier introduces an important new design advantage to leverage advanced nonlinear speaker control technology as enabled by the Klippel Controlled Sound, or KCS algorithm.
In high-end audio R&D, the physical size of a speaker has always been the ultimate bottleneck for bass depth. Traditional linear protection algorithms often “cripple” performance exactly where it matters most — at high amplitudes — to prevent mechanical damage. Nuvoton and Kippel have been working together to help redefine the limits of small speakers by achieving greater loudness, deeper bass and lower distortion – even in compact designs. KCS in the NAU83G60YG enables speakers to safely operate at their physical limits without compromising sound quality.
According to Nuvoton, the impressive distortion reduction provided by NAU83G60YG with KCS enables “unsurpassed clarity of bidirectional voice communication in conferencing speakers and soundbars. This advantage is strengthened even further by the linearized reference signal from NAU83G60YG that provides best learning conditions for Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) algorithms. It leads to faster and more consistent convergence with less artifacts. Compact multimedia speakers as well as studio monitors profit from additional dynamics (bass and SPL) for a more enjoyable and consistent listening experience.”
“We are excited to collaborate with Klippel on this innovative stereo smart amplifier solution. Compared with traditional smart amplifier designs based on linear models, the NAU83G60YG enables smaller speakers to achieve higher sound quality and maximum output performance. It supports precise speaker protection and real-time speaker diagnostics while significantly simplifying speaker tuning processes. In addition, it enhances barge-in AEC performance and enables low-latency Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) applications for next-generation smart audio systems,” said Walter Tseng, Vice President of Microcontroller Business Group at Nuvoton Technology Corporation.
Compared with conventional amplifiers and smart amplifiers based on linear speaker models, the KCS algorithm offers superior performance with more bass, cleaner sound, and inherent operational stability. Its adaptive nonlinear speaker control technology provides active compensation of speaker distortion, balances operational instabilities, offers superior accuracy of mechanical and thermal protection to avoid overload situations, features automatic adaptive system alignment for unrivaled consistency, and adds voice-coil resting position control for maximum coil travel. These capabilities significantly improve loudspeaker performance and sound quality.
Redefining the Limits of Small Speakers
The Nuvoton NAU83G60YG is a stereo smart amplifier that integrates a Class-D power stage with an advanced, low-latency audio DSP. It can deliver 2 × 30W into 4Ω loads with less than 10% THD+N from a 24V supply, while also supporting 30W mono operation in parallel BTL mode into a 2Ω load. The speaker supply-voltage range extends from 8 to 24V, making the device suitable for mains-powered products as well as battery-operated or automotive audio systems.
The amplifier’s central technology is Klippel Controlled Sound, or KCS, a nonlinear adaptive speaker-control algorithm developed to manage the mechanical, electrical, and thermal limitations of loudspeakers in real time. Instead of relying only on conventional linear protection techniques that progressively reduce output when a speaker approaches its limits, KCS is designed to exploit the available operating range more effectively. This allows the loudspeaker to operate closer to its physical limits while maintaining protection against excessive excursion, overheating, and other potentially damaging conditions.
KCS continuously analyzes the relationship between the amplifier’s output voltage and current to identify important loudspeaker parameters. This enables the system to compensate for changes caused by production tolerances, long-term aging, temperature variation, and other environmental conditions. Because the control algorithm adapts to the actual behavior of the connected driver, the amplifier can maintain more consistent performance across individual units and throughout the product’s service life.
A key function of the system is nonlinear speaker linearization. Loudspeaker drivers generate harmonic and intermodulation distortion as their suspension, magnetic circuit, voice coil, and other mechanical elements depart from ideal linear behavior. KCS actively compensates for these nonlinearities, reducing distortion and stabilizing the acoustic response. The result can be greater perceived loudness, improved bass reproduction, and cleaner sound, particularly when a compact driver is being driven at high excursion.
The NAU83G60YG also provides active DC compensation to help keep the voice coil near its ideal rest position. DC displacement can reduce available excursion in one direction and cause asymmetric operation, limiting bass output and increasing distortion. By correcting this condition, the amplifier can make more effective use of the driver’s mechanical travel and support higher low-frequency output without requiring a larger enclosure or speaker.
The device includes adaptive speaker alignment, output-voltage and output-power limiting, and both mechanical and thermal overload protection. These functions work together to control the boundaries within which the loudspeaker operates. Mechanical protection limits excessive cone excursion, while thermal protection manages the heat generated in the voice coil and other components. The system can therefore prioritize useful acoustic output instead of applying unnecessarily severe limiting across the entire operating range.
Real-time speaker diagnostic data is another important capability. Since the amplifier measures voltage and current continuously, it can monitor the connected transducer and provide information related to its operating condition. This can support system-level diagnostics and help identify abnormal behavior, component variation, or changes associated with aging and environmental conditions.
The audio-processing section incorporates two 15-band parametric equalizers, along with crossover and audio-mixing functions. These facilities allow the amplifier to perform loudspeaker equalization, system voicing, frequency-band separation, and signal routing without requiring a separate external DSP. An upsampling and downsampling converter is also included, allowing the device to accommodate different audio data rates within the system signal chain.
Latency is particularly low, with the audio path specified at approximately 0.7 to 2 milliseconds depending on the selected configuration. This is important in applications where the amplified signal must remain closely synchronized with microphones, sensors, or other audio paths. The low-latency architecture is especially relevant to active noise control, road-noise cancellation, echo cancellation, and interactive speakerphone systems.
For digital audio and control, the NAU83G60YG supports high-speed I²C operation up to 1 Mbps. Its audio interface supports I²S, PCM, and TDM formats, with up to eight channels and sampling rates as high as 192kHz. This provides flexibility when integrating the amplifier with application processors, codecs, audio hubs, automotive audio systems, and multichannel digital signal chains.
The amplifier also includes battery-oriented power-management functions. Automatic level control helps regulate signal amplitude, while Under Voltage Lockout Prevention is intended to maintain usable operation as the supply voltage falls. These features are useful in portable and battery-powered products, where the available supply voltage can vary substantially according to battery state, load demand, and power-management conditions.
The Nuvoton NAU83G60YG smart amplifier delivers low distortion, high output power, and ultra-low latency audio processing, enabling clearer voice communication and enhanced low-frequency performance for next-generation audio applications.
In Practice
For active noise-control applications, KCS can help extract maximum bass performance from small loudspeakers while maintaining a controlled response and limiting distortion. The low processing latency is important because active noise-control systems depend on precise timing between the reference signal, the generated cancellation signal, and the acoustic result. The amplifier can also provide a linearized echo-cancellation reference signal, improving the ability of a system to distinguish desired speech from distortion generated by the loudspeaker.
In conference speakerphones and other voice-interactive products, distortion compensation can improve acoustic echo cancellation and support more reliable wake-word detection. Reducing nonlinear speaker artifacts gives the echo-cancellation and speech-processing algorithms a cleaner reference signal, which can improve overall intelligibility and system stability.
The NAU83G60YG is intended for a broad range of products, including conference speakerphones with acoustic echo cancellation, automotive road-noise active-control systems, televisions and soundbars, notebooks, PCs, all-in-one computers, wireless speakers, smart speakers, and other active loudspeaker products. Its combination of integrated power amplification, programmable audio processing, speaker modeling, protection, and diagnostics can reduce the need for separate processing and protection stages in the system design.
Nuvoton provides the NT-NAU83G60 evaluation board for development and testing. This platform can be used to evaluate the amplifier’s power-stage performance, digital interfaces, DSP functions, KCS speaker-control algorithms, protection behavior, and suitability for different loudspeaker designs. By combining a stereo 30 W Class-D amplifier with adaptive nonlinear speaker control and low-latency processing, the NAU83G60YG is designed to improve the performance, consistency, and reliability of compact active-audio systems.
“The release of the NAU83G60YG today is good news for audio designers. It makes KCS technology accessible in the highly relevant power range of up to 30W. This is a significant milestone for Klippel GmbH in fulfilling the vision of our founder, Dr. Wolfgang Klippel: providing the entire audio industry with innovative tools that push the boundaries of audio performance. We are grateful for our trusted, long-term cooperation with Nuvoton, whose support has helped bring this achievement to life,” states Benjamin Barth, CEO of Klippel GmbH.
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