"I'm looking for a new amplifier." We hear this sentence almost daily in our shop. And almost always, it's followed by our counter-questions – because the word "amplifier" today encompasses devices that have little to do with each other in everyday life.
The problem with buying an amplifier is therefore rarely the wrong model. It's the wrong category. Anyone who goes home with the wrong type of device pays for functions they'll never use – or realizes after two years that a crucial connection is missing.
This guide clears things up. We'll go through the selection step by step from the demand side:
- What types of devices exist and what the terms mean
- Stereo or Surround – the first major fork in the road
- Which sources you want to connect and which connections you need for them
- Whether one device is enough for everything or if individual components are a better fit
- Which speakers are suitable – and how much power you really need
In the end, you'll know which device class is right for you. A confusing market will become a manageable selection – and then the actually enjoyable question becomes interesting: which one sounds best to you? There's also a checklist with eight questions to take home.
Contents
- Why the device class is more important than the model name
- Terms sorted: What is what, exactly?
- Step 1: Stereo or Surround?
- Step 2: What needs to be connected?
- Step 3: Integrated or separated?
- Step 4: Which speakers should be connected?
- And the sound? In the end, the ear decides
- Typical mistakes when buying an amplifier
- Checklist: The right amplifier in eight questions
- Conclusion: What suits whom
- FAQ
Why the device class is more important than the model name
An example we encounter again and again: someone comes to us with an AV receiver to which exactly two speakers have been connected for years. No center, no rears, no home cinema – just stereo music. When they first bought it, they chose a device built for a completely different purpose. It works, but a significant part of the purchase price is tied up in functions that are never used.
That's why the advice right from the start is: First sort by category, then by device. Sound, appearance, and price are important – but they only help you within the correct group.
Terms sorted: What is what, exactly?
The designations in the market have become quite blurred. Here's the order behind them:
Integrated amplifier – the classic device. It consists of two parts in one housing: the pre-amplifier (source selection, volume control) and the power amplifier (the actual amplification for the speakers). You connect your devices, select the source, adjust the volume – done.
View all integrated amplifiers
Separate pre-amplifier and power amplifier – the same function, but distributed across two (or more) housings. More effort, more space required, more cables – but maximum freedom in configuration.
View all pre-amplifiers & power amplifiers
Receiver – traditionally an integrated amplifier with a built-in radio section. In the past, this meant FM, today DAB+ and internet radio are added. And because internet radio is ultimately streaming, strictly speaking, every streaming-capable amplifier is also a receiver. This is where the terms blur.
Streaming amplifier – an integrated amplifier with built-in network streaming, usually including app control, often also with DAB+/FM, Bluetooth, and digital inputs. You'll also find devices with a CD player or a phono pre-amplifier in this category. For many, this is the standard case today – you choose the speakers freely.
All-in-One devices – the highest level of integration: amplifier, streamer, radio, sometimes a CD player, and the speakers are all housed together in one unit. One device, one power cable – you don't need separate boxes and speaker cables, the speakers are already built in.
AV receiver – the multi-channel world. Built for surround sound with center, rear, and height speakers, video processing, and calibration systems. A separate category with its own rules.
A basic principle first, which will help you through the entire decision-making process:
- The more individual components, the more flexible you will ultimately be.
- The fewer components, the higher the ease of use – and the less cable clutter.
- Splitting things up usually makes them more expensive, not cheaper.
Therefore, outsourcing a function to a separate device is worthwhile primarily if you prioritize that function highly. More on that later.
Step 1: Stereo or Surround?
This is the first and most important choice – and it determines which half of the product world you can mentally set aside.
Do you want true surround sound? That is, localization from front, back, and above, movie sound in Dolby or DTS formats, more than two speakers plus a subwoofer? Then you need an AV receiver or an AV pre-amplifier with multi-channel power amplifiers. This eliminates all stereo amplifiers – and begins a separate decision chain about channel count, sound formats, HDMI standards, and calibration systems.
We explain step-by-step how to proceed in our AV receiver buying guide. And what setup fits your room, you can read in Home Cinema Buying Guide: Which Setup for My Room?
Do you primarily want to listen to music in stereo? Then it's about two speakers and possibly a subwoofer – and the rest of this guide is for you.
Two special cases that often cause confusion:
- Two pairs of speakers (e.g., living room and kitchen, switchable via A/B) are not surround. That's still stereo – you just need an amplifier with two speaker outputs and sufficient power reserves.
- TV sound through the stereo system also doesn't automatically mean surround. Many simply want news, concerts, or series to sound better than through the TV speakers. A stereo amplifier with the right input is perfectly sufficient for this – more on that in a moment.
Step 2: What needs to be connected?
Now comes the part that in practice decides between satisfaction and annoyance. Mentally walk through your living room – and not just what's there today, but also what might be added in two years.
An important point first: Missing inputs can almost always be added externally. Missing outputs cannot. That's why looking at the back is twice as worthwhile.
Turntable
A turntable provides a very quiet signal with special equalization and therefore requires a phono input. If your amplifier doesn't have one, it's not a disaster – you have three options:
- choose a turntable with a built-in phono pre-amplifier (then it connects to a normal line or aux input),
- add an external phono pre-amplifier in between,
- or specifically look for an amplifier with a suitable phono input.
Pay attention to the cartridge type: most amplifiers only offer MM (Moving Magnet). If you use or want to use an MC (Moving Coil) cartridge, you need an amplifier or pre-amplifier that explicitly supports MC. And if vinyl is particularly important to you, the external solution is often sonically superior. Phono Pre-amplifiers · Turntables
CD Player
Here, it depends on whether your player should be connected analog or digital.
- Analog: RCA (Cinch) is the standard, some players also offer XLR. Both require the corresponding input on the amplifier.
- Digital: If your player has an optical, coaxial, or USB output and the amplifier does not have a digital input, you need an external D/A converter in between.
An external converter is particularly worthwhile in two cases: if you expect a sonic improvement over the player's built-in converter – or if your device is a pure transport without its own converter. CD Players · D/A Converters
Streaming and Internet Radio
If the device is to play Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, internet radio, or your own music library, you have two options: an amplifier with built-in streaming – or an external streamer.
The external streamer has an underestimated advantage: streaming platforms and apps evolve quickly. A separate device can be replaced in a few years without the amplifier having to be retired. Streamers · Streaming Amplifiers · Making an existing system streaming-capable – how to do it · Understanding music streaming
Television
A very common desire – and easy to solve if you know beforehand which path you're taking. TVs typically output sound via one of these methods:
- HDMI ARC / eARC – the most convenient way: The amplifier can be volume-controlled with the TV remote and often switches on automatically.
- Optical (Toslink) or coaxial digital – reliable and widespread, but without the convenience features of ARC.
- Analog – on older devices or via the headphone output; works, but is the least elegant solution.
- Bluetooth – possible, but rarely the first choice for a fixed system.
Important: If your amplifier is purely analog, you need a D/A converter in between for the digital path. Some streamers even come with an HDMI ARC input and handle this directly. If TV sound is a regular issue for you, specifically look for an amplifier with HDMI ARC or at least an optical input. Televisions · D/A Converters
Subwoofer
If a subwoofer is to be added – now or later – you need a suitable connection path. There are three:
- Pre-Out (volume-controlled pre-amplifier output),
- Sub-Out (dedicated jack for this purpose),
- High-level input on the subwoofer, which connects in parallel to the speaker terminals.
If the amplifier lacks an output and the subwoofer doesn't offer a high-level input, it becomes unnecessarily complicated. Therefore: If a subwoofer is even a vague future option, pay attention now. Subwoofers · Do I need a subwoofer?
Headphones
Many listen regularly or even predominantly with headphones – and yet this point is often overlooked when buying an amplifier.
- Classic headphone jack (mostly 6.35 mm jack, adapters to 3.5 mm are cheaply available): Practical if a switch also mutes the speakers.
- Separate headphone amplifier: useful if the quality of the built-in jack is not sufficient for you, if you use demanding or high-impedance headphones – or if the amplifier has no jack at all. Important: To hear all sources of your system through it, you need a Line-Out on the amplifier (not volume-controlled), because you then control the volume on the headphone amplifier.
- Bluetooth headphones: Caution, there is a common misconception here. An amplifier that receives Bluetooth (so you can play from your phone) does not necessarily send to Bluetooth headphones. These are two different functions. If you want both, you need an amplifier that can do both – or an external transmitter/receiver dongle on the Line-Out or Line-In.
Over-Ear · Headphone Amplifiers
Recording devices, tape deck, reel-to-reel
This is where real attention is worthwhile, because this connection has been eliminated on many modern devices. For recording and playback, you need an output pair (Rec-Out or Line-Out) plus a free input. If the output is missing, you simply cannot operate your cassette deck or tape machine – and it cannot be retrofitted. Reel-to-reel tape recorders
Pre-Out for later
A Pre-Out is a volume-controlled output to which you can connect an additional power amplifier. This is the expansion option in case the built-in power amplifier is no longer sufficient for you at some point – or if you want to go for bi-amping. Costs nothing extra today and will be worth gold tomorrow. Power Amplifiers
Unsure which connections you really need? We are happy to advise you!
Step 3: Integrated or separated?
If you have completed Step 2, you have a list. Now the question is: Is it all in one device – or do you distribute it?
The Calculation Behind the Features
A developer has a certain budget for a device – for components, power supply, housing, development time. The more functions that are to be included, the smaller the proportion allocated to each individual function.
This has two consequences, and the second is the more important one:
- If a device comes with twenty functions and you only use three of them, you pay for the other seventeen.
- And even more crucially: these three functions that you really need are necessarily implemented with less effort in an all-rounder than in a device that only performs that one task. A separate D/A converter, a separate phono preamplifier, a separate streamer – with these, the entire development, the entire power supply, and the entire housing concept are optimized for precisely this one task. Therefore, individual components are often clearly superior in their respective disciplines.
The honest price for this is: Individual components are usually more expensive in total, they require more space, more cables, and more attention during operation. Hi-Fi Racks
What speaks for the all-rounder
Conversely, the same applies: If you stack CD players, tape decks, televisions, streamers, Bluetooth adapters, and phono pre-amplifiers individually, you end up with six remote controls, a tangled mess of cables, and have to consider which input the source is on every time you want to listen to music. In everyday life, this is the most common reason why systems are turned on less often than their owners intended.
A highly integrated device reverses this: one remote control, one app, a minimum of cables. You press "Internet Radio" on your phone, and the device automatically switches to the correct input. For many people, this is the solution that actually leads to more music listening – and that, in the end, is the purpose of the exercise. All-in-One Devices · Streaming Amplifiers
The honest rule of thumb
Only outsource a function to a separate device if you give it high priority. Those who love vinyl get a good external phono preamplifier. Those who mostly stream invest in a good streamer or converter. Those who do a little bit of everything and primarily want uncomplicated listening are better off with a well-equipped all-in-one concept.
And at the very top is the separate pre/power amplifier combination: maximum freedom, maximum expandability – but also the greatest effort in terms of space, cables, and budget. It is the right choice when sound quality clearly trumps everything else. Preamplifiers · Power Amplifiers
Step 4: Which speakers should be connected?
Now you know which type of device suits you. The question remains, which is most frequently skipped when buying an amplifier – and later takes its toll: Does the device match your speakers? The amplifier is not a soloist; it's one half of a team. If the two don't match, even the most expensive device won't help.
Efficiency: How loud will the speaker be from how much power?
Efficiency (measured in decibels, at a defined input power and distance) tells you how effectively a loudspeaker converts electrical power into sound. The difference is greater than you might think: a highly efficient loudspeaker can reach room volume with very little power. A less efficient one needs many times that power for the same volume.
Hence the rule of thumb: Large, complex, inefficient loudspeakers with a low-power amplifier are a bad combination. Not because it wouldn't get loud enough – but because the amplifier would reach its limits early. And an amplifier constantly working at its maximum sounds strained, loses bass control, and seems powerless, even with the volume turned up high.
Impedance: Does every amplifier match every speaker?
Impedance (in ohms, usually 4, 6, or 8) simply describes how much resistance the loudspeaker offers to the amplifier. Lower impedance means more current delivery – not every amplifier tolerates this continuously. Make sure the amplifier explicitly supports the impedance of your loudspeakers. With modern devices, this is usually not a problem, but with very low-impedance or particularly demanding loudspeakers, a closer look is worthwhile.
And the wattage?
The wattage on the box is the most overestimated value in all of hi-fi. By itself, it says surprisingly little because it is determined completely differently depending on the measurement method – and because it reveals nothing about the quality of this power.
What you can remember:
- Power is reserve, not volume. You don't need it for consistently loud listening, but so that the amplifier doesn't lose control during impulses – a drum beat, an orchestral entry.
- Too much power less frequently damages speakers in practice than too little. An overstressed, distorting small amplifier causes more damage than a powerful large one that is never pushed beyond room volume.
- The interaction of room size, efficiency, impedance, and your listening volume is crucial – not a single number.
If you don't have the speakers yet, plan both together. Floor-standing speakers · Bookshelf speakers · Finding the right speakers
[IMAGE SUGGESTION: 1) Schematic comparison of "highly efficient vs. less efficient speakers" with same volume, different power 2) Close-up of type plate on speaker back with marked impedance and power handling 3) Room sketch small/medium/large with indication of increasing power requirements]
Are you unsure whether your desired amplifier can truly drive your existing speakers? That's exactly the question that can be answered in five minutes on the phone – and which can prevent a bad purchase. To consultation →
And the sound? Ultimately, the ear decides
Everything up to this point was pre-selection. It's important because it protects you from making a bad purchase – but it doesn't answer the most beautiful question: Which of these suitable devices do you like best?
Because that's the truth no datasheet can capture: two amplifiers with identical features, identical power ratings, and similar prices can sound significantly different. One may seem brighter and more open, the other warmer and calmer. Neither is "right" – right is the one with which you want to listen to music for hours.
Therefore, our clear recommendation: Listen to your favorites, if possible with your own speakers and your own music. Bring a few pieces you know inside out. The difference is usually audible within a few minutes – and these minutes decide the next ten years of listening pleasure.
The best place to do this is, of course, with us in Rellingen :)
Typical mistakes when buying an amplifier
The AV receiver for pure stereo music. The classic. If you only use two speakers and don't need multi-channel movie sound, you pay for channels, video processing, and formats you'll never use with an AV receiver – money that would have gone entirely into sound quality in a stereo amplifier.
Only looking at the wattage. The number on the box says almost nothing without considering efficiency, impedance, and room size. And in the end, it's the sound that counts.
Amplifier and speakers bought independently. Both excellent on their own, unhappy together – this happens more often than you think.
Features bought that are never used. Twenty functions on the datasheet feel good at the time of purchase. In everyday life, the three you actually use count – and those would often have been better implemented in a simpler device.
Only thinking about today. The missing pre-out, line-out, or subwoofer output is only noticed two years later when the system is to be expanded – and then it can't be retrofitted.
Decided by aesthetics. Design can be a criterion – but please only after the category and connections are correct.
Not auditioned. The amplifier often stays on the shelf for a decade or more. Making this decision based solely on the datasheet is a costly shortcut.
Checklist: Eight questions for the right amplifier
To take with you to the specialist shop – or to check off before ordering:
- Stereo or Surround? More than two speakers plus sub with true all-around localization → AV area. Otherwise stereo.
- What sources do I have today? Turntable (MM or MC?), CD player (analog or digital?), streaming, TV, headphones.
- What sources might be added? Subwoofer, streamer, power amplifier – better to consider now.
- What outputs do I need? Pre-out, sub-out, line-out/rec-out, headphone jack. Inputs can be added later, outputs cannot.
- How important is ease of use to me? An app and two cables – or rather specific individual components with maximum quality?
- Which speakers am I driving? Impedance, efficiency, size – and does the amplifier's power match?
- How big is my room and how loud do I listen? Large room and quiet speakers need more reserve.
- Have I auditioned it? Ideally with my own speakers and my own music.
Conclusion: What suits whom
You primarily listen to stereo music, have few sources, and want maximum sound quality for the budget → a classic, well-equipped integrated amplifier. All money goes into what you actually use. Integrated Amplifiers
You mainly stream, want app control, and little tech in the living room → a streaming amplifier. Make sure all your other sources also fit. Streaming Amplifiers
You want one device for truly everything – radio, CD, streaming, vinyl, TV – and value simple operation → an all-in-one device with built-in speakers. A compromise on the ultimate sonic nuance, but a system you'll happily turn on daily – and that requires no other components. All-in-One Devices
Sound is more important than anything else to you, you set specific priorities, and have space → individual components, up to a separate pre/power amplifier combination. More expensive and complex, but at the maximum in every discipline. Preamplifiers · Power Amplifiers
You want multi-channel movie sound → AV receiver, and thus a separate world of advice. AV Amplifiers
We also made a video about this
If you prefer a more visual explanation: We've also reviewed amplifier selection on camera – with devices in hand and a look at the backs. Feel free to check it out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is wattage relevant?
Less than most people think. It's almost meaningless without context because it's measured differently and says nothing about the quality of the power. What matters is whether the amplifier can confidently drive your specific speakers in your room – for that, the efficiency and impedance of the speakers are at least as important.
Can I simply continue to use my old AV receiver for stereo?
Yes, it will work. The question is whether it makes sense: a large part of an AV receiver's budget goes into channels, video processing, and audio formats that you don't need for pure stereo use. A stereo amplifier of the same price class instead invests this money in the power supply and amplifier quality – the difference is usually clearly audible.
Does every amplifier match every speaker?
No. Make sure the amplifier supports the impedance of your speakers and offers enough power reserve for efficiency, room size, and your listening volume. Large, inefficient speakers with a low-power amplifier are the most common unhappy combination.
Is an all-in-one device sufficient, or should I buy individual components?
That depends on your priority. An all-in-one is more convenient, space-saving, and usually cheaper than the sum of comparable individual devices. Individual components are often clearly better in their respective disciplines because the entire development went into that one task – but they cost more, need space and cables. Rule of thumb: delegate what is most important to you.
How do I get TV sound to my stereo system?
Most conveniently via HDMI ARC/eARC, because then you control the volume with the TV remote control. Alternatively, via an optical or coaxial digital output – then the amplifier needs a corresponding digital input or an external D/A converter in between. Pure analog connections also work but are the last resort.
How do I make an old amplifier streaming capable?
Via an external streamer connected to a free line or aux input. This works with practically any analog amplifier and is one of the most worthwhile upgrades imaginable. We have described exactly how this works in detail here: Making an existing system streaming capable
Not sure? Then talk to us
This advice is not a substitute for a conversation – it's just meant to get you to the point where you can ask the right questions. If, after reading, you're still wavering about which device class suits you or whether your desired amplifier harmonizes with your speakers: Call us or write to us. We'll go through your situation together – honestly, without sales pressure, and with the experience from many hundreds of such conversations.
And if you like: Come by and listen to your favorites in peace.
View consultation & installation →
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Author: Frank Buck
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