Scored & ranked
Loudspeaker amplification reviews - standalone power amps, integrated amplifiers, and line preamplifiers. Tube, solid-state, Class A, Class AB, and Class D, 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. Headphone amps live in their own hub - these never get cross-shopped against one.
3 reviews published so far, scored against the same reference list.
speaker-amps Hades 12thDenafrips Hades 12th Review: The R2R Preamp That Changes Things
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 AD-1PA+Tonewinner AD-1PA+ Review: A $4,000 Class A/AB Beast
A 43kg switchable Class A/AB power amplifier paired with a fully balanced preamp - 100W Class A or 500W Class AB into 4Ω with serious bass control and golden-hued mids.
speaker-amps AD-2PRO+Tonewinner AD-2PRO+ Review: Heavy and Powerful Class A/AB Integrated Amp
A 40 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.
Go deeper
Curated shortlists, plain-language explainers, and free calculators to take you from browsing the list above to a decision you can act on.
Head-to-head
The speaker amps & preamps we get asked about most, compared on one page - scores, sound signature, and which one to actually buy.
Buying primer
Every amplifier review on this page was run on the catalogue's reference loads (the HIFIMAN Arya Organic for headphone amps, the Triangle Australe EZ for speaker amps), fed from the Denafrips Enyo 15th DAC and Hermes 12th transport. Output is measured for clipping headroom into the actual load, not just the spec-sheet nominal impedance, so the amp's real behaviour at musical levels is what we score.
Power and drive
Continuous output into the actual load, peak transient capability, behaviour at the impedance dip rather than the nominal spec. Whether the amp can drive the catalogue's hardest-to-drive references with crest-factor headroom.
Tonal character
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.
Dynamics and noise floor
Quiet between notes, dynamic swing on demand, no soft compression on transients. Output stage noise relative to the load's sensitivity is part of the score for headphone amps especially.
Build and connectivity
Inputs (XLR, RCA, headphone outs of various types), output impedance behaviour, gain options, build quality of switches and knobs, daily-use ergonomics over multi-month listening windows.
Value and synergy
Performance against reference amps in the same bracket, and whether the amp's character pairs well across a range of headphones or speakers rather than being a single-pairing specialist.
How to read the scores: A 9.0 amplifier is a category benchmark, usually a piece that combines reference-tier power, low-distortion electronics, and a coherent voicing. An 8.0 amp is the top of its price bracket without being category-defining. The lower the score, the more specific the flaw: insufficient power for the load, audible coloration that does not serve the music, or build quality below the price bracket.
We do not score amplifiers by published wattage, by topology marketing, or by tube nostalgia. The rubric is built around real measurement into real loads and weeks of listening with the actual reference transducers downstream.
FAQ
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, draws constant current, and historically sounded best at the cost of efficiency. Class AB is the mainstream high-end choice: clean enough, efficient enough. Class D used to be a compromise; modern implementations (Hypex Ncore, Purifi) measure better than most Class AB and run cool. The class is no longer a quality marker - the implementation is.
An integrated puts the preamp and power amp in one chassis: simpler, cheaper, one less interconnect, and plenty for most rooms. Separates let you optimise 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.
