tube amplifiers, and those cases when you really do need more power and very low output impedance to handle a difficult speaker load (impedance). Exceptions tend to be amplifiers that tailor the sound due to high load sensitivity, e.g. There are differences to be heard, and nobody would reasonably state there are no differences among amplifiers, but IME/IMO the majority of amplifiers driving the majority of speakers at reasonable levels are indistinguishable in a blind test. And a tiny bump in volume, far below what I would normally recognize, would lead to one amp sounding 'better' only to have the difference vanish when correctly level-matched. Time after time I discovered the 'new' things I heard with a new component or whatever were also there on my previous rig I just hadn't paid attention or had gotten used to them. DBT and other testing was rather humbling. Perception bias is a powerful thing I spent many years in the audio biz believing I could hear all sorts of things. Of them all only one failed to adequately drive most of the speakers I have around (KEF, Infinity, Mirage, etc.) That said, several had more problems driving my Magnepans, but only at sustained high volume (beyond levels at which I normally listen). I have six or seven AVRs in the house now, some just sitting around, from 10+ to a year or so old.

In the midrange, it takes 10 dB (and thus ten times the power) to sound twice as loud. It is worthwhile repeating that a 3 dB change in volume is not much change, about what I bump up the mix when someone asks it to be 'just a little louder', and requires twice the power. The biggest advantage most external power amplifiers have over the ones in an AVR are beefier power supplies and output stages but again it is debatable how audible that is for many (probably most) folk. Whether audible or not, the separates tend to include their 'best' electronics and of course you pay a premium for separate boxes and so forth. DSP is not bypassed unless you want it to be and the AVR allows that all normal processing is usually performed (or not) as you desire.Īn AVR is often a cheaper way to get a preamp/processor (pre/pro) because most manufacturers assume those wanting separates are high-end (rich) customers and thus their pre/pros occupy the high end (cost-wise) of their product lines. Preamp outputs simply take the signal from before the AVR's internal amps and send it to jacks on the back of the unit. Most of us have reasonably sensitive ('efficient') speakers at nominal distance and our average listening levels only require a few Watts from the amplifiers. IME the number of folk who actually need an external amplifier is far less than those who actually need it when viewed objectively. An external amp can also reduce the AVR's thermal load (heat). If you have difficult to drive speakers, or relatively insensitive speakers in a large room far away from the listener, and like it very loud, then an external amplifier might help. Many folk use AVR's as preamps as mentioned by others, just make sure it has preamp outputs. is correct based on everything I have researched, measured, and heard. The all-channels driven debate has been beat to death.

Sub pre amp