Nonlinear distortion
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In a nonlinear audio device, the output voltage is not predictable from a knowledge of the input voltage for all signal levels. For instance, a typical amplifier with a gain of 10 would put out 20 Volts for a 2 Volts input, and put out 30 Volts for a 3 Volts input. The implication is that 50 Volts input would produce 500 Volts output, but this is impossible with most amplifiers.
There is a point at which the amplifier gain is reduced as the input level is increased. This is the nonlinear region of the amplifier. All devices have local peculiarities or deviations from linearity at specific signal levels.
Nonlinearity produces certain types of distortion, such as harmonic and intermodulation distortion.
