Loudspeaker amplification reviews - standalone power amps, integrated amplifiers, and line preamplifiers. Class A and Class AB solid-state designs, evaluated into real, low-sensitivity speaker loads and matched against reference amps in the same price tier so the verdict reflects sound, not spec sheets.
3 reviews published so far, scored against the same reference list.
Level at the top of the speaker amp and preamp list on 9.0/10: Denafrips Hades 12th and Tonewinner AD-1PA+. Rank the list by score
Filter by driver / topology, price and connectivity. Pick within a row to widen; combine rows to narrow. Only options the catalogue actually covers are shown.
Driver / topology
Price
Connectivity
Speaker Amps & Preamps Hades 12th9.0
A pure Class A, fully balanced, true discrete preamp with a 60-step relay-based resistor ladder volume control - perfect channel balance, 0.00045% THD, 122dB SNR.
Speaker Amps & Preamps AD-1PA+9.0
A 42kg switchable Class A/AB power amplifier paired with a fully balanced preamp - 330W into 8Ω, serious bass control and golden-hued mids.
Speaker Amps & Preamps AD-2PRO+8.8
A 36 kg, 240W integrated amp with switchable Class A and Class A/B modes, neutral tonality, and the kind of dynamic headroom that pairs well with virtually any speaker.
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Curated shortlists and free calculators to take you from browsing the list above to a decision you can act on.
The speaker amps and preamps we get asked about most, compared on one page - scores, sound signature, and which one to actually buy.
Every power amp, integrated amp and line preamp on this page drove the catalogue's reference floorstander, the Triangle Australe EZ, fed from the Denafrips Enyo 15th DAC and Hermes 12th transport. Output is measured for clipping headroom into the actual load rather than the spec-sheet nominal impedance, because a loudspeaker's impedance swings across the band and the dip is where an amplifier is really tested. Desktop headphone amps and DAC/amp combos are reviewed separately, on the headphone amps hub.
Judged against Denafrips Hermes 12th Transport Denafrips Enyo 15th DAC Triangle Australe EZ Reference load
Standards behind the method ITU-R BS.1116-3 Listening tests ITU-R BS.1770-4 Level matching AES17 Measurement terms EBU R 128 Level matching
The scale is normalized across categories: every score is built from the same five weighted axes (how a score is built), each judged against the reference at the product's own price tier. What earns the points on each axis is specific to the category, and in speaker amps & preamps it is this.
Power and current into a real load scored under System fit 15%
Continuous output and peak transient capability at the impedance dip rather than the nominal spec. An amplifier that does not hold up as impedance falls is the wrong amplifier for the speaker, whatever the headline wattage says.
Grip on the driver scored under Technical performance 25%
Damping factor is the ratio of speaker impedance to amplifier output impedance plus cable resistance, and it is what decides whether bass arrives tight or approximate. Measured with the cable in place, because the cable is part of the circuit.
Tonal character scored under Sound 30%
How neutrally the amp delivers the signal: solid-state transparency, the harmonic texture of Class A, the upper-harmonic spice of well-implemented tubes. Both transparent and characterful approaches can earn high scores; both have to be coherent.
Preamp and switching scored under System fit 15%
For integrateds and preamps: input count and type, volume-control implementation and its behavior at low settings, pre-outs and whether the line stage stays quiet enough to be worth separating in the first place.
Build, connectivity and value scored under Build & comfort 15% + Value 15%
XLR and RCA inputs, speaker terminal quality, thermal behavior under real listening loads, and whether the amp pairs across a range of speakers rather than flattering one.
How to read the scores: A 9.0 speaker amplifier is a category benchmark: reference-tier current delivery, low-distortion electronics, and a coherent voicing. An 8.0 is the top of its price bracket without being category-defining. The lower the score, the more specific the flaw - not enough current for the load, audible coloration that does not serve the music, or build below the price bracket.
We do not score speaker amplifiers by published wattage, by topology marketing, or by tube nostalgia. The rubric is built around measured behavior into real loudspeaker loads - including the impedance dip - and weeks of listening with the actual reference speakers in the room.
Buying advice, terminology, and how the speaker amps & preamps category is reviewed on The Audio Stuff.
It comes from three numbers: speaker sensitivity (dB/W/m), your listening distance, and your target SPL. An 87 dB/W/m bookshelf at 3 m playing realistic peaks wants far more power than a 92 dB/W/m floorstander up close. Use the SPL distance and speaker power calculators with your figures - and leave 10-20 dB of headroom for unclipped dynamic peaks rather than buying to the average level.
Class A runs hot and draws constant current to keep its output devices conducting all the time; Class AB switches between them and is the mainstream high-end choice, clean enough and efficient enough. Both Tonewinner amplifiers reviewed here switch between the two modes, and the modes were judged separately because they are not the same amplifier. Neither letter is a quality marker on its own - and switching-mode Class D designs now measure well too - so the implementation, not the class, decides the result.
An integrated puts the preamp and power amp in one chassis: simpler, cheaper, one less interconnect, and plenty for most rooms. Separates let you optimize each stage independently, place big power amps near the speakers, and upgrade one box at a time - at the cost of more money, more shelf space, and another cable. Start integrated unless you have a specific reason to split them.
A preamp selects the source, controls volume, and drives the high-impedance line-level input of a power amp - it provides voltage gain and a clean output stage, not the current that swings a speaker driver. A pure preamplifier like the Denafrips Hades has no speaker or headphone output of its own: it feeds a separate power amp, which feeds the speakers.
