The HiFi amplifier Conundrum of 2025
I spent my 2024 festive break pondering one of HiFi’s everlasting questions, what are the amplifier differences between “modern day” integrated amplifiers and pre power or mono block amplifier setups and which one might be right for me. It’s the being right that is the conundrum because it encapsulates not only sound quality and performance but also function and features. I do have to consider both as I need access to amplifiers good enough to review the level of HiFi speakers that will be sent to me but I also need to make sure it will work well with my other system components and again any sent to me to review. This is a trickier situation than it seems, for starters do I buy equipment I like or what my viewers and readers want to hear about? I try and do both where possible always telling myself I have to spend hundreds of hours listening to this equipment so I do have to like it a lot.
Where my thought trail came from for this has nothing to do with sound quality it all started with a phono stage and how that has changed what I need an amplifier setup to offer me. At the end of last year I added a ModWright PH9 XT phono stage to my review system and one of its key features is its balanced analogue output. The X part of the XT is a £500 upgrade that you can see best when you remove the lid. There are four or two pairs by the looks of it of Lundhal output transformers and these are only being used for the balanced output. That is the output you want to use from this phono stage for its best performance.
This is fine, but I also want to use the balanced output from my reference DAC the Chord Hugo TT 2, I think that is how it sounds best. This again seems like a nothing situation until I started looking for what might be a perfect integrated amplifier to use as a reference this year, bearing in mind I have some big and very high end speakers coming to me to review soon, I need to make sure the amplifier I am using is more than up to the task. To my surprise many of the integrated amplifiers I was interested in only had one balanced analogue input. Some integrated amplifiers do have dual balanced inputs such as the higher end Luxman Z range or the biggest Hegel the H600 as examples but you don’t get dual balanced inputs on the more affordable Luxman L-505Z or on the Hegel H400 and below, proof of what I am talking about here.
So what I have been pondering is does this situation mean I have now outgrown the integrated amplifier concept, a product designed to do a lot of things for you from the one chassis. Do my needs now dictate a step up to a pre and power or mono block amplifier setup, an interesting way of looking at that decision, normally its a decision made for performance reasons I assumed, but maybe not. The reason I am feeling like this is because many all analogue preamplifiers available on the market seem to offer multiple balanced inputs, not all of them but its far more common than with integrated amplifier equivalents.
So maybe my situation is clear, that the pre power route is the right one for me to take given I want to use both an external DAC and stand alone phono stage and need multiple balanced analogue inputs for these. However even as seasoned audiophile I find it a confusing decision to make because pre power amplifiers do cost more often seem to offer less features (good in my case) but they seem more stripped down products in a way and how much better do they then sound for the extra cost. I think some of the advantages and benefits of moving to a pre power setup from an integrated are more obvious than others.
I made a video on my YouTube channel about this where I explain my thought process in more detail and if you would like to watch it click here. The video links directly back to this article.
Asking the right questions
Somethings in life we just have to do it, to experience it and learn from what we get right and from our mistakes, I am very much one of those people. However I think its best to learn as much as we can from those who have done it already or from the experts, especially when there are high monetary costs involved. I wanted to try and find out what the technical performance advantages are for a pre power amplifier setup compared to an integrated amplifier and the same in reverse. I thought the best way is to ask different manufacturers the same questions and then compare the answers, figuring the truth would probably lie in the middle of everything that was said, however I was surprised to see pretty much full consensus in all the answers.
What were the right questions to ask – I wanted to keep it simple, but ask open questions allowing the manufacture freedom to answer how they felt best. I asked one question that was reversed and then also a “trick” question just to see if any curve call or interesting suggestions came back from it. My questions were;
Question 1 – from a pure technical / performance perspective is there any advantage to a pre power amplifier setup compared to an integrated amplifier? What are those advantages in the real world everyday audiophile listening situation?
Question 2 – from a pure technical / performance perspective is there any advantage to an integrated amplifier compared to a pre power if they were like-for like in terms of design?
Question 3 – Why would or should an audiophile choose a more costly pre power setup over the convenience and often more feature rich integrated amplifier choice?
I received some fantastic detailed but not too extensive or hard to understand answers and I want to say a huge thank you to every manufacturer who responded. Lets dive into the answers, I promised in my YouTube video accompanied to this article that I would post the full answers and that is what I have done. I hope you learn as much from them as I have.
Response from Vinnie Rossi
Regarding your project on integrated amplifiers versus pre/power setups, we offer a dedicated preamplifier and monoblocks, as well as an integrated amplifier version, that make up the Brama product line – so I’m happy to provide my input to your questions.
>>Question 1 – Are there technical/performance advantages to a pre/power setup compared to an integrated amplifier?
There are several technical and performance advantages to a pre/power setup:
– Designing separates allows each chassis to be fully dedicated to a specific function (preamplifier, stereo power amplifier, or monoblock power amplifiers). This separation gives better isolation between the circuits, minimizing interference between the more delicate line-level preamp signals (especially if the preamplifier also contains a sensitive phonostage circuit) and the higher voltage/current power amplifier signals and their associated power supplies.
– The use of separate chassis provides more physical space for each component’s power supply, allowing for larger designs with increased power, better filtering, and optimization for their respective roles.
– Having more physical space enables designers to optimize the internal layout of the signal and power paths, as well as grounding, specifically for each component, further enhancing performance.
>>Question 2 – Are there technical/performance advantages to an integrated amplifier compared to a pre/power setup?
Depending on the implementation (implementation is the key word here), integrated amplifiers can offer a couple of distinct advantages:
– Integrated amplifiers allow for optimization between the preamp and power amp sections in terms of gain, impedance matching, as well as sonic characteristics, ensuring they complement each other.
– Combining the preamp and power amp in one chassis eliminates the need for interconnect cables and their associated jacks (“the best cable is no cable”), reducing potential noise.
– In practice, a well-designed integrated amplifier can deliver exceptional performance, particularly in environments where simplicity, convenience and budget are paramount.
>>Question 3 – Why would an audiophile choose a more costly pre/power setup over an integrated amplifier?
– A dedicated preamp and power amp offer the technical and performance advantages mentioned in response to your question 1 above. For those seeking the absolute best system performance, separates are often the preferred choice, assuming the budget allows.
– Power amplifiers in a separates system can also be configured as monoblocks. This further isolates the channels, provides a dedicated chassis and power supplies for each channel, and typically allows for higher output power in a single chassis by dedicating heat dissipation to one channel only.
– Separates (especially when using a preamp + monoblocks) allow for greater flexibility of placing the components in the system. For example, monoblocks can be placed close to each loudspeaker to minimize speaker cable length.
– Separates provide greater flexibility for audiophiles to fine-tune their system’s sound by mixing and matching components that best suit their preferences.
I would say that ultimately, both options have their strengths, and the right choice depends on the listener’s priorities, available space, and budget. In my experience, designing a system with a separate preamplifier and monoblocks provides the best opportunity to achieve uncompromised performance.
Response from OCTAVE
OCTAVE manufacture a range of high end tube integrated amplifiers, preamplifiers and monoblock amplifiers
1: From a pure technical / performance perspective is there any advantage to a pre-power amplifier setup compared to an integrated amplifier? What are those advantages in the real world everyday audiophile listening situation?
A real audiophile is usually looking for optimal sound. From a technical point of view, a separate solution has the advantage of spatially separating the power amplifier and the sensitive preamplifier. Assuming that the amplifier is to deliver around 2 x 200 W, a large power supply is required. An analog linear amplifier has an efficiency of only around 30%, regardless of whether it is tube or transistor. This means that the power supply should have an output of over 1000 W. The stray magnetic fields of the power supply and the two power amplifiers always have a negative influence on the preamplifier section. If such an amplifier is to be sonically and technically perfect, the chassis must be extremely large, the preamplifier section should have its own mains transformer, and good shielding must be installed between the power and preamplifier electronics.
Such a unit would weigh around 60-100kg and easily cost the same as separate components.. It will undoubtedly be very large and therefore not particularly attractive. I think from a commercial and also from a sonic point of view such a unit makes no sense, as the complex overall design would require more or less major compromises.
2: From a pure technical / performance perspective is there any advantage to an integrated amplifier compared to a pre-power if they were like-for like in terms of design?
An integrated amplifier with medium power of around 2 x 100 W can be optimized, but ultimately no one will install a complex preamplifier solution in such an amplifier. 1:1 would mean separate power supplies, etc. And ultimately, it is not the same if you put the preamplifier in an integrated amplifier. So this is a purely theoretical question.
3: Why would or should an audiophile choose a more costly pre-power setup over the convenience (and often more feature-rich) integrated amplifier choice?
Because of the sound characteristic , the versatility and flexibility. And on the other hand, because of the Output power, if this is an important aspect.
Response from Cambridge Audio
Cambridge Audio manufacture a broad range of integrated amplifiers and a high end range of preamplifier and power amplifier options.
Question 1 – from a pure technical / performance perspective is there any advantage to a pre power amplifier setup compared to an integrated amplifier? What are those advantages in the real world everyday audiophile listening situation?
Yes, there is. For starters separating the sensitive pre-amplifier that deals with low level signals from the power amplifier, which deals with higher voltages, can lower the noise floor, improving SNR and allowing more detail to shine through. Secondly, as the power amplifier has more space, they can normally be made to output more power due to increased heatsink size, allowing for more headroom in your system and cooler running. Power amplifiers usually come in two configurations, stereo and monoblock – often the stereo versions can be bridged to turn them into mono amplifiers. Separating the L and R channels can be beneficial too by improving channel separation.
Question 2 – from a pure technical / performance perspective is there any advantage to an integrated amplifier compared to a pre power if they were like-for like in terms of design?
One possible advantage of having an integrated amplifier is the shorter signal path internally between the pre-amp and power amp stages. The other is that the manufacturer can tune the pre-amp stage to complement the power amp stage as such, although this can be done with matching separates too. If the designs were like-for-like, you would at best hope for equal performance from the integrated vs pre/power system.
Question 3 – Why would or should an audiophile choose a more costly pre power setup over the convenience and often more feature rich integrated amplifier choice?
It all comes down to sound quality. Separating the devices allows more focus on each to do exactly what it was engineered to do, from the ground up. This allows a pre-amplifier to only worry about low voltage signals, and keeping their integrity with as little noise as possible. And for the power amp, it allows the designers to implement optimal PCB layouts, for example dual-mono designs. It also allows them to focus on higher voltage circuits without worrying about them injecting noise into the more sensitive pre-amp stage.
Response from Chord Electronics
Chord Electronics manufacture a wide range of pre and power amplifiers and integrated amplifier of all sizes.
Question 1 – from a pure technical / performance perspective is there any advantage to a pre power amplifier setup compared to an integrated amplifier? What are those advantages in the real world everyday audiophile listening situation?
Yes: in answer to your specific point, from a pure technical/performance perspective, keeping the electronics and power supply isolated from other system components is always the best option. If you separate out the respective amplifier components into a preamplifier and a power amplifier, then you have almost total isolation between the different parts and importantly, you can use separate power supplies for each product. This means that you can have a small power supply for
the preamplifier electronics and a much bigger, higher current power supply for the amplifier and you don’t get the interaction between the two.
Question 2 – from a pure technical / performance perspective is there any advantage to an integrated amplifier compared to a pre power if they were like-for like in terms of design?
Integrated amplifiers, like our ULTIMA technology ULTIMA INTEGRATED, are a great solution for many customers and if designed properly, can have excellent performance. However there is always a compromise to be had, compared to the generally more expensive method of a separate pre/power or pre/monos. It is generally the case that manufacturers have to fit a lot of electronics into the same box, which always means it is harder to separate the small preamp signals from the
larger amplifier signals. Plus, if the integrated also includes digital or streaming electronics, then the problem is even worse as you then have to carefully isolate analogue from digital electronics.
Along with that, it is often the case that an integrated product shares a common power supply. This means that the different parts of the circuits tend to have an influence on each other that might result in higher noise or cross talk between the components. So, from an ultimate technical or performance perspective, no, however that doesn’t mean an integrated isn’t the right choice for someone’s needs, circumstances or budget.
Question 3 – Why would or should an audiophile choose a more costly pre power setup over the convenience and often more feature rich integrated amplifier choice
It’s all about separation, isolation and power delivery. Firstly, there are the myriad technical advantages outlined previously; for the ultimate in performance, two (or three) boxes are better than one. Beyond the technical, there are a number of practical advantages, including the ability to swap and upgrade preamps and power amps with changing need or circumstances, plus some audiophiles like to have a preamp in easy reach, but keep the power amps close the speakers – a two- or three-box amplifier with balanced in/outputs provides this flexibility.
Response from Audiolab
Audiolab manufacture a range of integrated amplifiers, preamplifiers and power amplifiers
Question 1 – from a pure technical / performance perspective is there any advantage to a pre power amplifier setup compared to an integrated amplifier? What are those advantages in the real world everyday audiophile listening situation?
Separating the preamp and power amp stages into separate chassis gives scope for significant improvements. Whether these improvements are fully realised depends on the quality of the circuit design.
Firstly, there’s the simple matter of real estate. Utilising two boxes provides additional space for more sophisticated circuit designs and bulkier, higher quality components. In pure performance terms, there is always some compromise in squeezing all this functionality into a single box, particularly to the preamplifier.
Keeping the pre and power sections in separate boxes also allows the preamp signal path (which is susceptible to noise) to be kept separate from the power amp circuitry, with dedicated transformers and fully optimised and isolated power supply circuits for each.
Question 2 – from a pure technical / performance perspective is there any advantage to an integrated amplifier compared to a pre power if they were like-for like in terms of design?
Theoretically, if you just took the exact circuit design from an integrated amplifier and separated that circuitry into two boxes (obviously you would have to give the preamp and power amp their own power supplies etc, so they couldn’t be absolutely identical) then the real-world advantages would be negligible. There may be some advantage to isolating the signal paths, offset against putting an additional cable-connected audio component in the signal chain.
However, to do this would be to completely ignore the potential offered by designing an amp system in two boxes instead of one, thereby doubling the space available for all circuitry – control, signal, power supply etc – compared to a single chassis (assuming the cases are the same size). If this space is well utilised, it should always be possible for a pre and power amp combination to sound significantly better than an integrated amplifier.
Any amp manufacturer that offers both integrated amps and separate pre and power amps does so in order to provide a progression through its range, with pre/power combinations sitting upmarket of integrated models. To ignore the opportunity to improve on your integrated circuit design when taking a dual-chassis approach would be entirely nonsensical.
At Audiolab, we have three core product tiers – the entry-level 6000 Series, mid-level 7000 Series and flagship 9000 Series. All three tiers include an integrated amplifier, but only the 9000 Series also includes a separate preamplifier and power amplifier option – the new 9000Q and 9000P, which represents the top amp system in our current range.
We’ve made a range of improvements to the 9000Q and 9000P compared to the 9000A integrated, fully utilising the potential of the dual-chassis approach. Here’s a summary:
9000Q
The 9000Q has the same user interface as the 9000A but its differential balanced audio circuitry is much more substantial than the preamp stage in the 9000A, including even more sophisticated power supply circuits and a 40VA ultra-low-noise toroidal transformer.
Analogue tone controls have been added, accessed via the GUI – useful to adjust EQ to suit different sources etc.
The class-leading DAC stage has been further enhanced by even more refined power supply engineering. (The DAC really is exceptional!)
The excellent MM phono stage has been further improved.
Specialised RFI/EMI filtering tech elevates performance across all inputs.
XLR Direct mode – a fully balanced signal path from input to output.
9000P
The 9000P is based on the 9000A’s power amp stage but features enhanced power supply circuitry with the same specialised RFI/EMI filtering tech also included in the 9000Q.
Offering a separate power amp component increases system configuration options. For example, you can connect a source with its own volume control such as the multi-award-winning 9000N network streamer directly to the power amp.
The addition of a bridged mono facility – combining two 9000Ps to deliver 2x 300W/ch into 8 ohms – provides a useful upgrade path.
In terms of price, the 9000A’s RRP is £1,999, whereas the 9000Q and P when purchased together cost £2,499.
Question 3 – Why would or should an audiophile choose a more costly pre power setup over the convenience and often more feature rich integrated amplifier choice?
The first thing to say is that there is no inherent reason for an integrated amplifier to be more feature-rich than a preamplifier – that’s simply a design choice. Of course, all features must be well engineered to be effective and not detrimental sonically when compared to a more minimalist design approach.
In terms of convenience, again, this is a question of design choices – it’s up to each brand how many features are included, and up to the customer as to whether they consider the existence of certain features to be more or less convenient. Having one box instead of two might be considered more convenient – or at least more economical in terms of taking up less space – but then a two-box design from one brand may have a smaller footprint than an integrated amp from another brand depending on the size of the chassis. It’s a matter of customer choice as to which is right for them.
A two-box pre/power is not always inherently better than an integrated amplifier – it’s a question of design and engineering. Using a dual-chassis approach gives the designer scope to elevate audio quality over a single-chassis integrated, but whether this bears out depends on the quality of design and engineering. It’s perfectly possible for an integrated amp from ‘brand A’ to sound better than a pre/power from ‘brand B’, depending on the quality of design.
Audiolab amplifiers have always been renowned for their useful, well-engineered facilities as well as their sound quality, going right back to the brand’s early eighties roots. Both the 9000A integrated amp and 9000Q preamp are well-stocked with features that greatly enhance their versatility; the 9000Q is even better stocked in that regard than the 9000A – notably the addition of microprocessor-controlled analogue tone controls – breaking the myth that integrated amps are more feature-rich than preamps. The enhanced signal and power supply circuitry developed for the 9000Q and 9000P also ensures their performance is superior to the award-winning 9000A – if you want the best-sounding amp system in the Audiolab range, the 9000Q and 9000P (or, even better, two 9000Ps in bridged mono mode) is the way to go.
It’s also worth noting that separating the preamp and power amp stages into two boxes and making them available separately increases the system configuration options a range can offer. For example, one might connect a source component with a variable output directly to a power amp if additional preamp functionality isn’t required – say, hook the 9000N network streamer directly to the 9000P to create an extremely high quality two-box streaming system. Similarly, one could combine the 9000Q preamp with a power amp from a different brand – a valve amp, say – to get a different sonic flavour whilst benefitting from the 9000Q’s facilities… This opens up greater choice and more upgrade paths for audiophiles.
Response from Electrocompaniet
Electrocompaniet manufacture a range of integrated, preamplifier and power amplifiers.
General pros:
Mixing & matching:
• Separates can be mixed and matched for a certain sound quality, features and taste
• Separates can be acquired and / or updated over time, step by step
• Brand-independent combinations are possible
Setup:
• Power amplifiers can be positioned closer to the speakers:
o Shorter speaker cable, especially with mono- blocks
o Better speaker control
o Less impact of speaker cable type and quality
• Better air circulation and cooling for the power amplifier:
o No overheating when driving heavy loads
o Circuitry operates at a more constant temperature
Separate boxes:
• No interference from power amplifier circuitry
o More space per housing makes it possible to separate the circuit areas in these
boxes better and more effectively – this applies to both preamplifiers and power
amplifiers.
o High currents in power amplifier output stage and power supply are not coupling
to delicate pre-amplifier circuitry
o -> Less distortion and cleaner signal
o -> Better precision and stereo imaging
• Heat not generated in only one confined area:
o Less prone to overheating
o Longer lifetime
General cons:
Setup:
• Signal sent via signal cable to power amplifier:
o High quality cabling is expensive
• Takes up more floor space
More easily achievable in separate pre-amplifier vs integrated:
Input/Output:
• More space for inputs, both balanced and single-ended inputs.
• More space for outputs, such as dual outputs and tape monitor etc.
• More sophisticated input selection:
o Better relays with lower degradation over time
o Solid-state solution possible with no degradation and distortion over time
o Fully balanced input selection
Power Supply:
• More sophisticated/beefier power supply:
o Separate rails for each amplifier section
o Better regulation and lower noise from each rail
o Possible with higher voltages for more signal headroom
o Separate supply for each channel for better channel separation
o -> Lower noise, distortion and signal disturbance
Volume Control:
• More room for sophisticated volume control:
o Avoid simple potentiometers
o Preferably made from solid-state devices that do not distort or deteriorate
o -> Less noise and distortion due to better volume control
Circuitry:
• More room for more parts and better circuitry/parts
• More space per housing makes it possible to separate the circuit areas in these
boxes better and more effectively – this applies to both preamplifiers and power
amplifiers.
• Use of balanced and dual- mono circuitry for better S/R and lower distortion
• Balanced circuitry throughout, from input, through volume control to output
• Dedicated discrete circuitry can be made:
o Lower distortion and noise
o Larger voltage and current headroom
o Beefier output drive capability
o -> Better performance
Construction:
• Possible to make as dual-mono with 100% exact channels:
o Less interaction between channels
o Channel layout and signal route of each channel is identical
o -> Improves precision and stereo imaging
More easily achievable in separate power amplifier vs integrated:
Power supply:
• More room for bigger power supply:
o Possible with separate power supply for different circuitry
o Separate power rails for each channel
o More output power for the power output stage
o Bigger and stiffer power transformer
o -> Power amplifier is less influenced by heavy loads
o -> Higher output headroom
• More room for a big capacitor bank:
o Power supply is stiffer during dynamic power demands
o Amplifier output is less influenced by attached loads
o -> Dynamic power output in short peaks is very much improved
Output stage:
• More room for many output devices:
o Less distortion
o Better drive of difficult loads
o Higher output power – both static and dynamic
o -> Higher damping factor – better control
Construction:
• More optimized and direct signal routing
• More space per housing makes it possible to separate the circuit areas in these
boxes better and more effectively – this applies to both preamplifiers and power
amplifiers.
o Mechanical layout can be optimized for short signal paths
o Grounding can be made more solid and direct
o Separation of signal ground and power ground can be more easily achieved
o -> Less noise, distortion and signal influence
• Easier to place power supply closer to the output stage
o Shorter high current paths
o -> Better damping factor and speaker control
Separate boxes:
• Monoblocks have full channel separation:
o No channel-to-channel interaction
o -> Improved precision and stereo imaging
Integrated vs separated amps
Pretty much the opposite of the above.
Final thoughts
It’s a bit like comparing a car-trailer combination with a pickup truck. If they are in the same price range, you can’t really compare them. We think it’s about optimizing for the respective use and the customer’s requirements and then both designs have their purpose but will most likely differ in price.
Well-made integrated amplifiers can achieve very much of the same as separates. However, they are most likely not available for the same price.
Final Thoughts
I am glad my system needs has pushed me along my audiophile journey to explore pre and power amplifier options more, its something I have wanted to do for a long time but the allure of the convenience and excellence of many of the integrated amplifiers I have spent time with has deterred me from it. I still love a good integrated but I am looking forward to hopefully the discovery of some new sound experiences.
I have one main overriding question I want to try and answer for myself – how important is the preamplifier for a HiFi systems sound quality and in what ways can it improve or effect sound quality? Some preamplifier designs look amazingly complex and I am hoping to get a chance to experience them and its in the exploration of different preamplifiers is where I expect to experience the biggest number of new sound experiences, but we will see.
I am also interested in the “mixing and matching” of different manufacturer components to see if there are some special combinations to be discovered. The classic tube preamp with solid state power amplifier is classic for a reason. I do have some reservation with this and that is in the getting it right and making sure any information I deliver in my videos or here are “correct.”
This will be an ongoing thing but I have already made a start on it so please keep an eye out for more on this coming soon.
