An integrated amplifier (pre/main amp) is an electronic device containing an audio
preamplifier and
power amplifier
An audio power amplifier (or power amp) amplifies low-power electronic audio signals, such as the signal from a radio receiver or an electric guitar pickup, to a level that is high enough for driving loudspeakers or headphones. Audio power a ...
in one unit, as opposed to separating the two.
What is an integrated amplifier?
/ref> Most modern audio amplifiers are integrated and have several inputs for devices such as CD player
A CD player is an electronic device that plays audio compact discs, which are a digital audio, digital optical disc data storage format. CD players were first sold to consumers in 1982. CDs typically contain recordings of audio material such a ...
s, DVD player
A DVD player is a machine that plays DVDs produced under both the DVD-Video and DVD-Audio technical standards, two different and incompatible standards. Some DVD players will also play audio CDs. DVD players are connected to a television to ...
s, and auxiliary sources.
Vintage integrated amplifiers commonly have dedicated inputs for phonograph
A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration Waveform, waveforms are recorded as correspond ...
, tuner, tape recorder
An audio tape recorder, also known as a tape deck, tape player or tape machine or simply a tape recorder, is a sound recording and reproduction device that records and plays back sounds usually using magnetic tape for storage. In its present ...
and an auxiliary input. Except for the phono input, all of the inputs are line level, thus, they are interchangeable. The phono stage
A phono stage, also known as a phono amplifier or phono preamplifier, is an electronic audio component that amplifies the signal from a turntable to a level that will allow it to be heard when connected to a sound system. A phono stage is needed to ...
provides RIAA equalization
RIAA equalization is a specification for the recording and playback of phonograph records, established by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The purposes of the equalization are to permit greater recording times (by decreasi ...
.
See also
*Audiophile
An audiophile (from + ) is a person who is enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction. The audiophile seeks to achieve high sound quality in the audio reproduction of recorded music, typically in a quiet listening space in a room with ...
* High-end audio
*High fidelity
High fidelity (hi-fi or, rarely, HiFi) is the high-quality reproduction of sound. It is popular with audiophiles and home audio enthusiasts. Ideally, high-fidelity equipment has inaudible noise and distortion, and a flat (neutral, uncolored) ...
* Valve audio amplifier
References
Sources
# Queen's University ENPH333 Notes- Prof. J.L. Mason
Audio amplifiers
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