Lexicon Amplifier

An amplifier is an electronic circuit that amplifies a signal with the help of additional energy. The amplification is expressed in higher voltage and / or higher current. In the context of hi-fi, one speaks of an amplifier as a device in particular when speakers can be connected to the output.

One distinguishes between the following devices:

Power amplifier or power amplifier

An amplifier without (or with very few) control elements, e.g. without volume control and source switch, which has the task to amplify a signal with Line-Level in such a way that one can operate loudspeakers.

If only one signal is amplified, it is also called a monoblock. Monoblocks are often placed near the connected speaker. Active Loudspeaker have the power amplifier built in, sometimes even separately for each Chassis (so-called bi- or triamping).

Preamplifier

A device that amplifies weak signals to line level. This is necessary, for example, for microphones or record-pickup. Also considered preamplifiers are devices with volume control and source switch, which serve as the central unit of a system, but have no speaker connection and no power amplifiers. Preamplifiers can also contain so-called Klangregelstufen to attenuate or boost defined frequency ranges. Some devices also have a "direct" button, which allows the signal to bypass the tone control stage. Furthermore, a so-called balance control may be present, with which the user can adjust the distribution of the signal to the left and right channel.

A special form of preamplifier is the passive preamplifier, which (paradoxically) does not amplify, but only attenuates, and consequently does not need its own power supply. Tone control stages can also be included here.

Integrated amplifier

This is the most common type of amplifier, combining a preamplifier and power amplifiers in one cabinet.

Headphone amplifier

Power amplifier or integrated amplifier designed specifically for the Headphone Connection and cannot actually power speakers.