How do I choose a better amplifier?

To find a better amplifier, I suggest focusing on three areas:

1. Reducing equipment integration, therefore avoid AVRs, multi-channel, receivers, etc
2. Sourcing better-engineered and built equipment from engineering-first manufacturers
3. Maximising bang-per-buck by purchasing pre-owned equipment, rather than new

Integration

The level of Integration refers to how many functions and, therefore, compromises are crammed into one box. To improve performance, one should aim to minimise the level of integration. Ranked from the most highly integrated (worst) to the least integrated (best) equipment types, with their performance potential, we have:

The simplest solutions are radiograms, stereograms and 3-in-1 units. These are not really considered hi-fi, so I won’t cover them here. Receivers consist of a power amplifier, preamplifier and tuner (radio) in one box. All consist of many compromises, and the smaller and cheaper they are, the more compromised.

Epic receivers like the Sansui G-8000 are the least compromised but still very compromised compared to running a separate tuner, preamplifier and power amplifier combination. I also love the Pioneer SX-1250, another absolute gem.

Avoid audio-visual receivers or AVRs if you are looking to improve performance. Even the most basic stereo amplifiers sound better than expensive AVRs due to their extraordinarily high level of integration with digital audio and video signal processing that is best kept away from delicate analog audio signals.

Removing the tuner from the box leaves us with what is called an integrated amplifier. This is now just a preamplifier (plus phono preamplifier) and a power amplifier in one box. Examples include the stunning Pioneer SA-9800, Accuphase E-202, Technics SU-V8 and hundreds of others. Add a tuner, and you have the same functionality.

Integrated amplifiers work well for many and represent an acceptable compromise for those wanting to save money and have a decent-sounding system. They contain many compromises, though, even at the stratospheric high end of integrated amplifiers, like the Accuphase E-800 class A integrated amplifier. This is not a unit I could live with, for example.

The least integrated and therefore best-performing amplifier solution comes in the form of separate preamplifier/power amplifier combinations, like my Accuphase C-290 and A-75, or my previous Accuphase C-280V and P-360.

The stereo power amplifier is the option many people end up with, and it is a suitable stopping point for many in terms of increased performance and reduced integration. I frequently advise people about different ways to get to this point.

Even with a stereo power amplifier like the A-75, though, there are still compromises, just fewer of them. The ultimate power amplifier solution, other things being equal, is to have dual mono power amplifiers. In terms of Accuphase equipment, that would mean purchasing two Accuphase A-300s!

The takeaway is that integration is the enemy of performance. The best solutions are the least integrated, so if you want to improve your amplification, reduce your integration.

Build & Engineering

My website focuses on this aspect of hi-fi equipment because of my interest in engineering and its direct link with performance. There is no special new technology that makes a modern amplifier in 2023 any better than a vintage amplifier from the ’70s or ’80s. There are lots of reductions in build and parts quality, though, that make the older gear often significantly more desirable, better performing and longer lasting. Read more about that here.

In terms of design, engineering and build, you want heavy equipment and features like separate transformers for each channel, or even for different parts of the amplifier, like the phono preamp, for example. Output devices are important, and MOSFETs tend to sound better than bipolar devices, other things being equal.

Balanced designs are preferable to single-ended ones and offer significant technical and, therefore, sonic advantages. Class A is also a highly desirable design feature and one I’ve written about separately. Build and engineering = cost, though, there is no free lunch here. If it is lightweight and plastic, it should be cheap, and if it’s cheap, it won’t be good.

Back in the day, labour costs were lower, and engineering and manufacturing standards were less compromised by the search to build things cheaply. I’m fortunate to have worked on most equipment from most of the major manufacturers over the years, and without exception, I can draw a line through the changes in build quality and engineering and find a broad peak running from the mid-1970s through to the mid-1990s..

Options

The easiest way forward for most owners of basic receivers and integrated amplifiers is to purchase a better integrated amplifier, like an Accuphase E-202 or E-303, Krell KAV-300i, Luxman L-550, Pioneer SA-9800, Sansui AU-919, Technics SU-V8, Yamaha CA-2010, and there are many, many others.

The very best solution is a separate preamplifier and power amplifier combination, again, of which there are many. This will take up more space, but it is the ultimate solution from a technical standpoint and therefore also a sonic one.

The super-ultimate solution…? You’ll need two monophonic power amplifiers to go with your high-end line-level preamplifier, plus a separate phono preamplifier. As always, the best bang-per-buck always comes from older gear.

Power

Regarding power, read this:

And this:

Power is important, but some of the very best-sounding amplifiers are lowish-powered class-A designs. They have dynamic limits that must be respected, though and using one might require a tradeoff of improved fidelity for reduced dynamic capabilities, or more sensitive speakers.

Conventional speakers of around 87 – 89dB/Watt sensitivity will, in most cases, require around 100 Watts per channel to achieve moderate dynamic realism without clipping or compression in most environments. Low-level listening and high-sensitivity speakers change that picture, allowing for less power. Bigger rooms, less sensitive speakers and those that demand realistic sound pressure levels will require much more power.

Regarding amplifier types for different use cases, read this:

And this:

The Best Amplifiers

I often tell customers that you can look at the design, engineering and execution, and pretty much tell how good a piece of equipment will be. Sure, you need to listen to confirm that you like the sound, but good design and engineering invariably sound good; of course, it does. In terms of what to look out for, this is heavily influenced by budget, as this will include some features and exclude others.

• Avoid very low-powered amplifiers, except for low-level listening and/or sensitive speakers
• Avoid very cheap amplifiers because you get what you pay for and good equipment is never cheap
• Reduce integration wherever possible/affordable
• Look for class A, MOSFET amplifier designs, and seriously heavy build quality
• Generally, the heaviest, most expensive equipment you can afford is the best path to take

Regarding equipment you currently own, maintaining gear you love is always worthwhile and spending money on it will improve it if that work is done by a competent technician. Just keep in mind that, no matter what parts are installed, you cannot make a piece of basic gear into a high-end killer, no matter how many WIMA capacitors you throw at it.

Most people should look to a significant equipment improvement, requiring a significant outlay. If budget is the overriding factor, I suggest saving and waiting until your budget allows for the purchase of equipment that offers significant improvement over what you currently own.

In summary, try to remember these key points:

1. Reduce amplifier integration
2. Avoid audio-visual equipment for hi-fi duties
3. Look for improved engineering and build quality, increased weight, reduced plastic
4. Try to move significantly forward, rather than sideways
5. Get serious, go deep, spend more than you want to, one really good equipment, once
6. Seeking good advice and truly informed help is critical to making the right decisions

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