The 11 Best Home Amplifiers in 2024 – Our Top Picks

Although more and more compressed audio formats have spread on the market and music is played from the smart phone combined with a wireless speaker, the best way to enjoy the sound experience is still to have a good amplifier.

To help you choose, we have created this guide, in which we highlight which aspects to consider before purchasing, followed by the reviews of the best models.

Here we had listed out some of the best home amplifiers that are present below.

Buyer Guide to Choose Home Amplifiers

Power Is Not Worth Listening

All the best brands of amplifiers emphasize, to try to put their products in a good light, the power they are able to express. This figure, however, is first an end in itself because it is measured in ideal conditions and not in everyday use, when the device is connected to a pair of speakers, whose quality obviously influences the sound performance.

The declared power, therefore, is simply indicative, and you need to get an idea of ​​how far you can “push” the amplifier, but it is not enough to determine the qualities of a product of this type.

So how to do it? We are facing one of those cases where direct evidence is fundamental. Before choosing a model, therefore, make sure to listen to the sound it is able to produce, its tones, and the rendering of bass, medium, and treble.

There is no perfect amplifier because each of us has a different sensitivity and taste, and only the listening test is able to dispel doubts and perplexities and allow you to bring home a satisfactory product.

By comparing the prices, then you will notice how the range is extensive. Also, in this case, it is not said that by spending a lot, you will ensure an amplifier whose listening you gratify, because the live test is always the discriminant that ranks first in the ranking.

In short, if you want to buy an amplifier online to save money, it’s fine, but first, take a tour of a hi-fi shop and give yourself some tests to find the model that’s right for you.

A Part of A Plant

Buying an amplifier, perhaps even spending a significant amount, is not an absolute guarantee of being able to listen to impeccable sound. This is because the unit fits into a system also composed of the audio player (typically a CD player or a turntable) and speakers.

These elements must also be of good quality so as not to penalize listening. In other words, they are spending a lot on buying an amplifier and then saving on speakers, and a CD player is not a good solution.

Our advice is to allocate a budget for the entire hi-fi system and then divide it in a balanced way, ensuring components of a reasonable level and capable of satisfying your sonic needs. Also, for speakers and readers, the best solution before making the purchase is to try them live.

Inputs and Outputs

The number of inputs on the amplifier indicates how many devices can be connected to it. In principle, the standard and beneficial ones are for the CD player, the radio tuner, the turntable, and the auxiliary (AUX).

Carefully evaluate which components you want to add to create your hi-fi system and go towards the purchase of an amplifier that only has inputs that are really functional for you. The newer models, for example, often do not have an input for the turntable, while others also have information for the recorder.

Do not be fooled by the presence of filters, colored lights, or displays, because in most cases, these are not very useful trappings that have the sole purpose of increasing the sale price without real benefits on the listening quality. As for the outputs, basically, the only two are the one for the speakers and the one for the headphones.

How to Use an Amplifier

An amplifier is used to modulate the strength of the electrical signal and is indispensable in a Hi-Fi system. Much of the audio output depends on the choice of the amplifier. Why do we say only a good part? Because a fundamental role also belongs to the speakers. Basically, it takes very little to buy a 1,000 euro amplifier and combine it with 50 euro speakers.

Stereo or Multi-Channel?

When you choose the amplifier, you have two solutions in front of you, the classic one, that is stereo or the multi-channel one, ideal especially for those who use the amplifier connected to the TV to enjoy a good movie and not miss any audio nuance.

Two speakers are connected to a stereo amplifier to create a right and left channel. In the case of the multi-channel amplifier, five (plus one) to seven (plus one) speakers can be connected.

Choose the Right Power

The choice of power is not a walk and must be done with care. Especially if you already own the cases, you are bound by them. For this reason, whoever builds his Hi-Fi system from scratch, would do well to focus first on the amplifier and then choose the rest of the elements.

In general, you should not be fooled by Watts alone. The power must be chosen with reason: it is necessary to take into great consideration the size of the room where the amplifier and its acoustics will go.

Too harsh a device is too small a room will provide poor sound quality. What a manufacturer says about his product should always be taken with springs because the data provided and the rates praised refer to a series of ideal conditions that are difficult to reproduce in a domestic environment.

Connectivity

When buying an amplifier, you need to be clear about what will be connected to it. All models have inputs for the CD player, turntable, and radio tuner, as well as an AUX input that allows you to connect other devices.

But today, music can also be listened to in MP3 format and streaming. In short, we suggest taking seriously those models that offer technologies such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth without underestimating the presence of a USB port.

Management via App

There are more and more amplifiers on the market that offer the possibility of being managed through an application, which, in turn, is managed by the smartphone or tablet.

It is a very convenient solution, in our opinion, but check that the app is well done because, in this sense, disappointment can be hidden around the corner. It often happens to come across poorly designed, unintuitive apps, not to mention the ones that crash constantly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Does an Amplifier Work?

An amplifier acquires the audio signal of a source, enhancing it and transforming it into an amplified signal that is supplied to the speaker.

An electric guitar model will transform the electric source of the pick-ups into a signal that will be transmitted by the speaker and regulated through the various frequencies. To get a more powerful sound with better frequencies, many guitarists prefer to use a tube amplifier connected to a speaker.

How to Connect the Active Subwoofer to The Amplifier?

You can connect the active subwoofer to the amplifier via a cable using the pre-out output of the latter. If it does not have it, then you will have to use power cables or an LFE digital cable.

Each active subwoofer can have different connection methods. Therefore we advise you to check if the manufacturer’s manual contains some suggestions. Alternatively, you can try various connections and check that the audio signal is transmitted correctly without loss of frequencies.

How to Check if The Amplifiers Ends Are Burnt Out?

The only way to check if the amplifiers’ ends are ruined is by testing. For guitar amps, it is straightforward because you will immediately notice if there is any damage as the sound will lose power until it is completely deactivated.

Alternatively, you can use testers to test the diodes and the transistor. If you are not familiar with electronics, this verification can be quite complex, so we recommend following some tutorials on YouTube.