Power Amplifiers

Power amplifiers do one job: they take a line-level signal from a preamplifier or processor and drive your speakers. People add one when they move to separates, bi-amp a pair of speakers, or want an AV receiver to hand off the heavy lifting. Our range covers stereo models, mono blocks and multichannel amplifiers from Parasound, Rotel, NAD, Musical Fidelity, Boulder, Hegel and others.

Stereo, mono block or both

A stereo power amp drives both speakers from one chassis, and it's where most two-channel systems start. The Parasound HALO A23+ and A21+, Rotel RB-1590, Advance Paris X-A160, NAD C 298 and Boulder 1160 all sit here. Mono blocks give each speaker its own amplifier, power supply and chassis, with the aim of keeping the channels completely separate. Examples include the Boulder 3050 pair, Parasound JC1+, Musical Fidelity M8S700m and the Advance Paris monoblocks, the X-A1200 and X-A220 EVO.

Plenty sit in between. The Gold Note PA-10 EVO, Electrocompaniet AW 800 M, Audiolab 9000P, EverSolo AMP F2 and Parasound NewClassic 2250 V2 run in stereo or bridge to mono, so a single stereo unit can later become one of a pair.

Multichannel amplifiers for home theatre and whole-home audio

About a third of our power amplifiers are built for more than two channels. The Marantz AMP 10 (16 channels), AMP 20 (12) and AMP 30 (6), Parasound HALO A31 and A52+, Rotel RMB 1585 MKII and Musical Fidelity M6X 250.7 pair with an AV processor, or take over from the amplifiers inside an AV receiver. For custom installs, the NAD CI 16-60 DSP, Monitor Audio IA60-12, Bowers & Wilkins CDA-16 and Rotel RKB-D8100 are distribution amplifiers for multi-room systems, and the CDA-16 is designed specifically for in-ceiling and in-wall speakers.

Class A/AB, Class D and valve designs

Output stage design is the other big variable in a hi-fi power amplifier. The Parasound HALO A21+ and A23+ run high bias Class A/AB, and the Perreaux 350 runs in Class A up to 10 watts before moving into Class AB. The EverSolo AMP F2 and Marantz AMP 30 are Class D, and the NAD M23 uses Purifi Eigentakt amplification. For valve listeners, the Cayin Soul 170P uses KT170 output tubes.

Questions we get asked

What does a power amp need in front of it?

Something to select sources and set the volume. That's usually a stereo preamplifier, an AV processor, or an integrated amplifier with pre-outs. Our preamplifiers cover the first option, and some of our integrated amplifiers can act as the front end when you add power later.

What is a mono block amplifier?

It's a single-channel amplifier, so a stereo system needs two. Check each listing to see whether it's sold as a pair, like the Boulder 3050 and Electrocompaniet AW 300M, or individually, like the Parasound JC1+ and Audia Flight Strumento n°8.

Do I need balanced cables?

Only if both ends have balanced connections and you want to use them. Models such as the Parasound JC1+ and Gold Note PA-10 EVO take both balanced XLR and RCA inputs, and XLR cables carry the balanced signal over three conductors, which is designed to reject noise picked up along the way.

Matching power to your speakers and room is a conversation worth having. Call the team or visit our Murarrie showroom to talk it through, and if you'd like a demo, call or message first so we can arrange it.