Amplifiers & Preamps

An amplifier provides power to the rest of your stereo and allows you to play music at high quality. A factory stereo in a car comes with a small amp installed, but many audiophiles don't find it...

In this article I'm going to walk you through connecting your car audio amp to your home theater system. I had an extra one in my basement and just recently hooked it up to my DJ mixer to see if...

When shopping for an amplifier or a preamplifier for your home stereo system, you may run across the term "line level." Power amplifiers are designed to take line level signals and amplify them...

Connecting an equalizer to a TEAC integrated amplifier will let you customize your stereo sound across a range of settings. This is useful when setting up the stereo system either for the first...

Power amplifiers are a key component of an audiophile's home audio system. They run the gamut in styles and prices and can be used in a variety of applications. McIntosh amplifiers were used to...

While not as commonly used as they used to be, equalizers remain a popular option for fine-tuning home-audio systems' frequency response. Using an equalizer properly requires a lot of knowledge of...

The power amplifier is an important component of the audio signal chain in a home stereo system and can have a significant effect on the quality of sound from the system. There are many choices...

There are two types of wires that are normally connected to a home stereo amplifier: speaker wire and audio/video cables to connect other components. In a home theater or stereo amplifier system,...

Maybe you need to select between two inputs without swapping cables--or perhaps you need to select between normal and amplified speakers for your home-theater system. A toggle switch extends the...

In the audiophile world, fans of high-end audio like to bicker endlessly about what format is best (CD, SACD or vinyl), whether to invest more in speakers or the source component or what kind of...

Amplifiers are the muscle that powers your stereo system by driving the speakers. The components are connected with speaker wire that consists of two strands. Each strand connects to a separate...

Whether you are designing your own stereo system or purchasing components for a personal audio system, you should have a basic understanding of how an amplifier sorts the audio signal and delivers...

Amplifiers and speakers are the muscle and heart of your audio system. The amp provides the power to drive your speakers, which deliver the soul-stirring music that defines a quality stereo setup....

Zener diodes are primarily designed to regulate the output voltage of a power supply. As a voltage regulator, a stable maximum voltage is allowed to pass through the diode. This maximum voltage is...

Three Japanese optical companies merged in 1917 to form "Nippon Kogaku K. K.," the company we now call Nikon. The new company began to manufacture optical glass in 1918, and made glass elements...

Designing a sound studio with good sound reduction material can be rather expensive. However, you can create inexpensive, less professional studios with other material used for the sound reduction...

Tubes are still commonly used in guitar amplifiers and in power amps in high end stereo systems. Many different tubes are popular, including the much beloved EL34, KT88, 6550 and 6L6. Tubes...

A preamp, also called a control amp, is an integral part of any high end audio system. Preamps are not as common as they once were, as their functionality has been incorporated into receivers and...

The very first guitar amplifiers were built in the 1930s. Over the next 30 years the guitar amp underwent some heavy modification as musicians in the 60s began over-driving their amps in order to...

If you have wanted to mount a CB Radio antenna on your roof without a tripod,chimney, or nearby tower....here is a possible way to do it. You will use your house waste...

A preamplifier, or control amplifier, functions as a stage between an amplifier and a source component in an audio system, raising the level of the signal. In many systems, a preamp is integrated...

A preamplifier is an analog or digital unit that processes a signal and adds gain before sending it to the main amplifier or receiving unit. A preamplifier can be used with computers, home and...

The Canon G9 is an exceptionally popular 12-megapixel digital camera created for the consumer market. It has a 6x optical zoom, optical image stabilization and the ability to display pictures in...

My first article is about resetting the Boss ME-50 (Multiple Guitar Effects)! If you've lost your copy of the Manual or you can't find any other information on the internet on how to do it,Then...

Home audio power amplifiers come in a wide variety of configurations and circuits, and can have a significant overall impact on the sound of your stereo. While many consumers think watts are an...

Wire comes in many different styles and sizes, but the most important consideration is the amount of current that will be carried by it, and that will determine the type of wire you'll need. The...

An audio amplifier produces and delivers power through speaker wires to drive audio loudspeakers in a stereo or home-theater setup. The power setting, better known as volume control, allows you to...

The tube, or valve, amplifier is based on vacuum tubes that increase signal power. Tube amplifier are popular with musicians using electric guitar. Valve amps can also be used for satellite, radar...

Pioneer audio/video receivers are well-engineered to serve as the heart of a home theater system. Most have some form of speaker calibration built into them, as well as advanced automatic EQ, to...

An audio/video receiver is the heart of a home theater system and makes switching between multiple video sources much simpler, especially if it can upscale the video sources from...

One benefit of analog audio devices is that they can often be easily connected to each other with an inexpensive adapter or cable. These adapters and cables can be bought in most retail consumer...

Keyboard amplifiers can be an important part of the musical experience. They come in many shapes and sizes, so knowing what features are important will help you find the right amplifier. Knowing...

While a receiver can help you connect all of your living room entertainment boxes (VCR, DVD player, CD player, surround sound system, game system), the integrated amplifier allows you to connect...

Connecting your television to your stereo amplifier is an easy way to improve the quality of your home theater experience. Most stereo amplifiers are compatible with most televisions. The...

In most car and home audio applications, a mono amplifier is used to deliver power to a single channel speaker, such as a subwoofer. The mono amp produces a single power signal which is ideally...

Hooking up a stereo amp takes only a few minutes. If you can follow the color-coded wire connections to the various components powered by the amplifier, you'll be hooked up in no time. Learn how...

The speaker amp, often simply called the amplifier, is the essential foundation of a home audio system. The amplifier takes the music from your turntable, CD player, or other source, and boosts...

A Class-D amplifier is an electronic device that uses a transistor's switching mode in order to monitor the power flow. You can use a Class-D amplifier where high outputs are required. A Class-D...

Folger Adam locks are installed much like other locking mechanisms. A lock pocket is cut into the door to fit the size of the lock. When the lock is secure, a wiring unit connects to a harness,...

Racks for stereo equipment and home theater systems generally start in the $200 range and increase from there. However, if you don't need the latest cutting-edge look and don't want to spend all...

The easiest way to amplify sound is to simply plug a microphone into an amplifier. If you don't happen to have electronic equipment lying around, however, you can use acoustic principles to...

Bridging amplifiers means using more than one power source to drive a load, which is typically a loudspeaker in audio applications. Bridged amplifiers are a setup for producing greater output...

Adding a power amp to your home stereo is a great way of improving the sound and making it even more impressive. When you're staring at that big, tangled mess of wires in the back of your...

Sometimes the need for noise prompts us to try new ways of hooking up our stereo equipment, like bridging two Crown amplifiers together to drive four speakers in a car or truck for maximum power...

The morning after a great party in which you pumped up the jams all night is always sobering when you realize that you blew the fuse in your amplifier. If you don't know how to replace it with a...

Speaker design is a craft that requires a thorough knowledge of acoustics, material science, and electronics. Speaker companies spend millions to develop and market speakers for home and car...

The audio amplifier is the heart of your home audio system. Whether your audio amplifier is a stand-alone unit, or it is part of an integrated receiver, the amplifier performs the essential task...

When you're in your car, no matter what music you enjoy, you want it to sound good; for the overall best car audio experience, a component speaker system is the way to go.

The stereo amplifier and receiver are two devices that are often part of the home stereo system. The most basic stereo systems rely upon a receiver, while component systems include an amplifier...