Amplifiers

An amplifier takes a small signal from a source – a phono stage, a DAC, a streamer – and turns it into something with enough current to move a speaker cone. How that happens, and how much else is built into the same box, is what separates the four types below.

Integrated amplifiers combine preamplification and power amplification in one chassis – the simplest way into a full system, with some models adding built-in DAC and streaming, and a phono stage as standard or an optional extra.

Preamplifiers and power amplifiers split those same two stages apart, keeping the power supply’s noisier demands away from the sensitive signal path – the usual next step once a system outgrows a single box. For ultimate performance, you can add an active crossover between a preamplifier and multiple power amplifiers, giving each speaker driver its own dedicated amplifier rather than sharing one channel across the cabinet.

Headphone amplifiers are the integrated amplifier’s equivalent for headphones – one box driving a single pair rather than a room.