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Why Integrated Amplifiers Are the Future of Home Hi-Fi

An integrated amp is a key component to building a modern hi-fi system. Here are four things to look for and the best options you can buy.

Photo by Cam Oden for Gear Patrol
Ian White

By Tucker Bowe and Ian White

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You could argue that the integrated amplifier is arguably the most critical component in modern hi-fi. It combines a power amplifier, a built-in phono preamplifier (which you need to connect a turntable) and, often, both analog and digital connections. It can drive your loudspeakers and connect your turntable, depending on the integrated amplifier, and it allows you to stream or play audio in myriad ways. In other words, when building a home-hi setup, it’s your best friend.

Is there a difference between integrated amplifiers?

Integrated amplifiers vary quite a bit. The more expensive models have powerful amps and high-quality components (like phono preamps and DACs) but they also gain more features and connections. The higher-quality integrated amps typically have more analog inputs for multiple audio sources (like a turntable, CD player or TV).

When building a home-hi setup, an integrated amplifier is your best friend.

The resurgence of vinyl has forced manufacturers to include a phono pre-amplifier in most integrated amplifiers and the myriad of streaming services such as Tidal, Qobuz, and Spotify are supported, along with playback platforms such as Roon.

Generally speaking, integrated amplifiers have made huge strides in performance as manufacturers have gotten better at integrating the various sections — power, source selection, volume control and connectivity — while minimizing the amount of electrical noise that negatively impacts sound quality.

The cherry on top? The signal path between the various sections is shorter in an integrated amp, which not only improves sound quality but also means you don’t need as many cables for your system.

Best Overall Integrated Amp

Domestically produced integrated amplifiers that are affordable, built well, modular and overachieving sonic performers are somewhat difficult to find these days. Schiit Audio builds everything in California and has succeeded at keeping its prices affordable by implementing smart industrial design and not over-engineering its products.

The Ragnarok 2 is available in two versions: the fully loaded version for $1,799 which includes a MM phono stage, 24-bit/192kHz Multibit DAC, and a very powerful headphone amplifier, and a more basic version of the integrated amplifier without the phono/DAC modules for $1,499.

The Ragnarok 2 is rated at 60 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 100 watts per channel into 4 ohms. It is more than capable of driving difficult loads like the Magnepan LRS planar loudspeakers or large full-range bookshelf loudspeakers like the Q Acoustics Concept 300 with very little effort and reproduces music with real presence and a level of resolution that you expect from far more expensive audio components.

If you listen to headphones on a regular basis, the Ragnarok 2 delivers more power than you would ever need for even the most demanding planar magnetic headphones.

Best Upgrade Integrated Amp

Cambridge Audio Evo 150 is a high-end integrated amplifier that’s fit for the modern streaming age. It supports both Wi-Fi (AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect) and Bluetooth aptX HD streaming, and it has a host of analog connections (phono, coaxial, optical, RCA, USB and HDMI ARC). But its standout features are its display, its huge control knob … and its power.

The display is great for showing album artwork and its knob is wonderfully tactile. As for power, the Evo 150 is able to output 150 watts per channel (which is huge) and drive very high-end loudspeakers. If you’re looking for a more affordable option, the company’s Evo 75 is very similar but has half the power output.

Best Affordable Integrated Amplifier

Cambridge Audio celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2018 with the launch of the award-winning Edge A integrated amplifier. It’s a reference-level piece of hi-fi that shines with every loudspeaker you can throw it.

At the opposite end of the price spectrum sits the entry-level AXA35 which delivers more than enough power to drive pricier bookshelf loudspeakers in a very satisfying manner. It does not include an internal DAC or streaming capabilities but serves as a very confident and robust-sounding amplifier that works well with the AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt DAC and your smartphone or laptop.

Build quality is first-rate, as is the quality of the MM phono stage that shines with cartridges from Grado Labs, Ortofon and Audio-Technica.

An Affordable Marantz

The Marantz PM6007 is one of the most budget-friendly integrated amps that the company makes. It’s a two-channel amp that delivers 45 watts per channel. It has a built-in phono stage (that only supports Moving Magnet (MM) cartridges), a headphone jack and an integrated DAC that supports 24-bit/192kHz).

There’s no Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB connectivity, which is its only real downside. It’s a solid option for those who want to connect an entry-level turntable, passive bookshelf speakers and a CD player or wireless streamer.

An Upgrade Marantz

Released in 2022, the Marantz Model 40n is a two-channel integrated amplifier that’s designed to drive high-end loudspeakers — it can deliver 70 watts per channel at 8 ohms — as well as be the central hub of your new-age hi-fi system.

The Model 40n supports most a wide variety of connectivities, both wireless (including Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2, Tidal Connect and Bluetooth) and analog (HDMI ARC, phono, optical and coaxial). That’s right, you can hook the Marantz Model 40n to just about any source, be it a record player or your TV.

Its most striking features are its little circular digital display (where it shows menu settings) and a row of physical knobs (for volume, balance, bass and treble controls). It’s available in two finishes: black or silver.

Best Integrated Amp for Bookshelf Speakers

Rega is well known in the hi-fi community for its high-end turntables and integrated amps — the io is that company’s newest and most affordable integrated amp.

At 30 watts per channel, the Io is basically a less powerful version of the company’s well-revered Brio integrated amp ($1,100); in fact, it has the same exact custom-designed phono preamp. It also has a built-in headphone amp.

The only major drawback for the Rega Io is, like the Brio, it lacks any kind of wireless connectivity, and thus you can’t use it as a streamer. But it’s still an excellent option for those with a nice turntable and a set of bookshelf speakers.

What to Look for in an Integrated Amplifier

an amplifier and remote sitting on a wooden table
The Schiit Audio Ragnarok 2, our pick for the best overall integrated ampliffier.
Photo by Cam Oden for Gear Patrol

Power

If you’re in the market for an integrated amplifier, chances are you already have a set of passive speakers that you’re looking to drive. (After all, the speakers are the most important component in any hi-fi system, as they actually play the sound.)

The good thing is that most integrated amps can properly drive an entry-level set of passive bookshelf speakers; it’s really only when you get into the realms of real hi-fi that you probably need to worry about it.

Nevertheless, before buying an amp, check your speaker’s power and sensitivity and make sure that the amp can more than match it. (Generally, you want an amp that can deliver roughly 1.5x the continuous power of your speakers.)

Connectivity

Different amps come with different analog and digital connectivity options, so you want to make sure you get the components that fit your hi-fi system’s needs. All our included integrated amps have a built-in phono preamp, making it easy to connect a turntable; however, some support both MM and MC cartridges, while some support one or the other, so you need to make sure it matches up with the turntable you have (or plan to buy).

There are various analog connections you should look at depending on your source, including optical, coaxial, USB, RCA and headphone jacks. Also, different amps have various Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivities.

Streaming Capability

Support for wireless streaming has become a standard feature on some integrated amplifiers, including Bluetooth aptX and aptX HD. Both formats are lossy, but sound quality has taken a huge jump in recent years when streaming to an integrated amplifier.

Many integrated amplifiers now include optical, USB, and Ethernet connectivity for external streamers — or if you use your desktop computer or laptop as your digital source.

Price

Integrated amplifiers are available with a wide range of features and power ratings. You can easily spend anywhere from $350 to $6,500 and have the nucleus of an excellent-sounding system for many years to come. But better sound quality and more features come with a higher price tag.

The smarter solution is to find a combination of amplifier and streamer that fits into your budget if you are concerned about price/performance.

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