Amplifier Shopping


Hopefully by the time you're shopping for an amplifier you already know what speakers you'll be using. Be sure the amplifier's output (watts) matches the requirements of your speakers without exceeding their tolerance. Too much power can blow speakers at high volumes. An underpowered amp will blow transistors or fuses as speakers draw more power than your amplifier can provide.

The current your amplifier's circuitry can handle is an important but imprecise consideration. A high-current amplifier can handle peaks in movie soundtracks without clipping. When the soundtrack's action becomes loud and all five speakers in your home theater start rolling, your speakers are drawing unusual amounts of current and you want an amplifier with heavy-duty circuitry to be up to the task.
Buying Tips
The first and easiest quality test should be to heft the amplifier's box in your hands. Pick it up, get a feel for its weight in comparison to similarly priced models. More weight means more real minerals used in its circuitry.

There is no hiding good material in an amp because it's heavy and manufacturers won't add weight for nothing - it costs too much to ship and metal is expensive. This means that the weight of the amplifier gives you a general idea of an amplifier's capacity for current, especially the weight and size of the power supply's transformer.

It's usually better to take home a noticeably heavier amplifier rated fewer watts than a lighter one rated more.

What about dials and buttons? If your amplifier is a receiver there are likely to be controls. If you're buying a straight power amp, there should be almost none - the fewer the better.

Finally, the amplifier's circuitry should be as short and simple as possible. It has one job, to amplify a signal.