THE HIFI HANGAR GUIDE TO AMPLIFIERS - no question is a silly question
What types of amplifiers are there?
Pre amplifier
A pre amplifier (preamp) is basically the volume control section of an amplifier which controls the current to the power amp section. in early hifi these were housed in separate boxes from the main power amplifier before the invention and production of the integrated amplifier (below). Some manufacturers still house preamps within a separate box as it is though to be a purest way to set up a hifi system.
Goodsell Preamplifier (with separate control panel)
|
QUAD 44 Preamplifier
|
SAE Preamplifier (underneath is the matching power amplifier in separate box)
|
Integrated Amplifiers
This is where the preamplifier section and power section of an amplifier are housed in one box, these were commercially available from the 1950's onwards and became popular as they are more compact and take up less space.
Integrated amplifiers can be either transistor or valve
Some examples of integrated amplifiers:-
This is where the preamplifier section and power section of an amplifier are housed in one box, these were commercially available from the 1950's onwards and became popular as they are more compact and take up less space.
Integrated amplifiers can be either transistor or valve
Some examples of integrated amplifiers:-
Ferrograph Integrated Transistor Amplifier circa 1970
|
Sony Integrated Transistor Amplifier circa 1990
|
Icon Audio Integrated Valve Amp circa 2014
|