In order to deliver a listening experience you will rave about, your system needs to reproduce the original quality of the source (e.g. a CD) as faithfully as possible. Your amplifier takes the signals from the source and boosts them before sending them on to your speakers and impressing your ears.

Integrated amplifiers are generally the most affordable and common amplifiers that most people have, containing both the pre-amplifier and power amplifier in the one box.

Pre-amplifiers are responsible for volume, tone and input switching facilities and have a surprising influence on the overall sound quality.

Power amplifiers are designed to boost a preamplified signal to drive the speakers and must be used together with a pre-amplifier.