A look back at the LM386 audio amplifier chip

Vasily Ivanenko writes on the QRP HomeBuilder blog about the LM386 audio amplifier. The low-cost chip has been out for decades but still has its supporters.

On a whim, I took another look at the LM386-4 one cold Sunday afternoon this November. My focus was to drive a loud speaker and not headphones. I won’t personally use the LM386 for a headphone amp as we enjoy so many better options. For example, an op-amp driving a pair of TO-92 followers, or perhaps placing 2 NE5532 op amps in parallel as the headphone PA stage.

Since the mid 1970’s the LM386 has enjoyed popularity amongst hobbyists for low to flea power AF power amplification. The NE612 mixer IC plus the LM386 have literally formed the basic building blocks of innumerable radio receivers amongst Hams and hobbyists for decades.

Although, imperfect like all other linear ICs, the LM386 design team delivered a simple, flexible, low power AF amp with reasonably low distortion. This part is noisy though.

You can read a lengthy characterization of the chip’s capabilities and limitations in the post here.


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