THREE BENEFITS OF HAVING A DEDICATED POWER AMPLIFIER IN YOUR HOME AUDIO SETUP

If you’re considering building a new system (or starting a second or a third system…), then you need to decide on your home base. One option is to go for separate components. And by that we mean a separate preamp and power amp.

Integrated amps (amplifiers that combine the preamp and amp into one) can offer awesome performance. They’re more popular and tend to be less complicated to set up as everything is in one box. So why would anyone choose instead to invest in two separate components instead of one? Well, lots of reasons. But we’ve broken it down into three big ones.

Let’s take a look at why two is sometimes better than one!

WHAT IS A POWER AMP?

First, let’s get some other definitions out of the way as the best method to understand what a power amplifier is is to understand what it is not. Let’s look at what an amplifier, preamplifier, integrated amplifier, and receiver is:

• Amplifier: Provides power for your speakers. It amplifies low-power electronic audio signals to a level high enough to drive loudspeakers or headphones. It’s essential to have when designing your home stereo system. An amplifier is built into the receiver.
• Preamplifier: If you separate the receiver into different components, the preamp is the one that comes before the amp in the audio signal chain. It strengthens low-level signals and has useful features and functions like gain control, equalization, and impedance matching. You can learn more about the purpose of a preamp here.
• Integrated amplifier: A standard receiver without an AM/FM tuner. It is an amplifier and preamplifier in one.
• Receiver: Receives audio and video signals from different sources (like DVD players, cassette decks, or turntables) and routes them to audio outputs (like speakers) and video outputs (like TVs or monitors). It is an amplifier with an AM/FM tuner built in.

A power amp then is a type of amplifier. It is designed to convert low-power signals into high-power ones. They are typically used to drive loudspeakers and equipment that has higher wattage and thus need more power than a typical amplifier can supply. If you choose to get a power amp instead of a receiver or integrated amp, then you should also get a preamp or processor to pair with it.

BENEFIT ONE: POWER

In general, power amplifiers will, as their name suggests, offer more power than other amps. Most receivers tend to max out at around 100 watts at 8 ohms - which is more than enough for the majority of households! If your goal is a home theater setup or a simple stereo system for a turntable, then a receiver or an integrated amp works best.

But if you’re needing to drive demanding loudspeakers or any equipment at a higher wattage, you need wattage to match. Power amplifiers usually hover around 200-250 watts, with the lower range beginning around 150 watts and the highest getting up to 750 watts and beyond (which is more power than you would probably ever need). This power is also handy if you have an existing amplifier with a pre-out. Then you can hook up the power amplifier for a considerable performance boost.

BENEFIT TWO: SOUND QUALITY

Separate components don’t always equal better sound. Build quality matters, and a top-notch integrated amp will outstrip a mediocre preamp and power amp combo any day. However, if you invest in the quality and you pair your power amp with a good preamp, you’ll hear the difference. In general, the reason for this comes down to the guts.

In an integrated amp, functions can contradict each other. Half of it is devoted to the preamp section, and half of it is devoted to the power amp section. The preamp section needs to collate and control the inputs the amp receives, which requires delicate and generally low-voltage circuitry. The amplifier section, in contrast, requires much higher voltages and currents, causing the preamp circuitry having to work around the power amp section. The amp section needs to be laid out to help the preamp work effectively.

A dedicated power amp, on the other hand, can be built towards one single task. Internally, the power supply’s signal paths can be as short as possible and components can be where they need to be. The preamp isn’t influenced by the amp’s higher power draw. They don't need to work around each other. The power amp is completely compromise-free.

BENEFIT THREE: FLEXIBILITY

Perhaps the biggest reason to invest in a power amp is the flexibility. You have better upgrade potential and more choices if you go with separate components. For example, if you buy a quality power amp, it could potentially last for the rest of your life. And if your preamp breaks, you don’t have to replace your power amp too - you only need to replace that one component.

You’ve also got more choices in replacing a preamp than you do an integrated amp. If a situation arose that called for different inputs, a phono stage, or different fine-level controls, then you could just switch out your preamp and be a happy camper! But in that same situation, if you instead owned an integrated amp, you would need to try and find one with not only the controls you needed, but with the same wattage you needed as well. Replacing just a preamp lets you choose based on features, not power level.

SUMMARY

An amplifier is a long-term investment, whether you go for separate components or not. If you invest in a decent one and take proper care of it, it should last for ten, twenty, or even forty years - no matter if it’s a receiver or an integrated amp or a preamp. But if you’re wanting more power, better sound quality, and flexibility, then a power amp is probably the better choice.

Here at SpenCertified, we understand that many people prefer separate components, so we make sure to offer a wide range of preamps and power amps. If you want to check those out, you can find them here and here. Thanks for reading! Have a great day.

https://spencertified.com/collections/preamplifiers

https://spencertified.com/collections/power-amplifiers