Preamp vs. amp: Which one should you choose? The world of pro and high-end home audio is filled with names and jargon. It can get especially confusing when you look at something like a preamp and an amp. Thankfully, every piece of the puzzle in audio signal flow has an intended purpose.
Preamps are one of the most vital components in signal flow, being crucial for recording. Power amps, or amps as they’re more commonly referred to, are possibly less common in modern recording. However, they also serve an important role when it comes to the playback of sound. Today’s guide will be taking a closer look at both of these elements to see how they compare and what they can do.
Preamp vs. Amp: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Preamp | Amp | |
|---|---|---|
| Intended Use | To bring lower-level audio signals to the line level for ideal processing and playback | To bring an audio signal to an acceptable volume and provide power to the speakers |
| Place in Ideal Signal Flow | First | Second to last, right before the speakers |
| Typical Controls | Can typically come with filters and equalizers to shape the tonal qualities of an audio signal | Input selection, line-out controls |
| Used in Home Audio? | Yes | Yes |
| Used in Pro Audio? | Yes | Yes |
| Analog or Digital? | Both are fairly common. Analog is seen more on mixing consoles and older hi-fi systems. | Digital is common for home use. Analog is typically only used in boutique guitar solutions. |
- 80 dB of gain
- Audio processing insert
- Gain trim controls
- 48V Phantom Power
Preamp vs. Amp: What’s the Difference?
As you can see in the chart above, there is a massive difference between both of these devices when looking at overall signal flow. Let’s take a look at all of the differences below.
Understanding Signal Flow
Before starting any sort of comparison, it is extremely important to understand the signal flow of an audio signal. Signal flow is ostensibly the same between home and pro audio, with a few core elements serving important roles in getting the best quality sound.
Typically speaking, the preamplifier, or preamp is going to be the first in line. When you’re recording something like a human voice or just taking a signal from your TV, the audio volume might not be at an ideal level. Preamps help to make the audio signal louder. Following the preamp, you’ll likely be looking at a power amp.
The power amp won’t generally provide a means to control volume on its own. You’ll usually see the output stage of the preamp dictate the overall volume of the power amp. The power amp actually delivers power to the speakers or headphones, hence the name. Between these two devices, you’ll see some other typical devices like dynamics processors and equalizers for pro audio setups.
Home audio you might see something like a wireless receiver or something along those lines in place of the preamp and power amp. This combines all the functions into a single device while also providing granular control over volume and the contour of the sound.
Intended Use
A preamp has a very specific purpose in audio. You’re going to be taking quieter signals and making them louder. Preamps will generally have a preset amount of gain, or volume, to them. Some, like the preamplifiers seen in the Neve desks for studios, will have around 60 to 80 dB of gain. This is more than enough to get a low-level signal to an acceptable level for audio processing.
Power amps just provide power to the speakers in most cases. You aren’t going to be using a lot of tonal shaping while looking to power the speakers. As such, you won’t typically find EQ and volume controls as part of the tone stack of a power amp.
The typical guitar amplifier is a perfect example of the use of both of these devices in a singular entity. A guitar amp’s preamp is where most of the action happens, it helps shape the signal and ultimately gives the major tonal qualities of the guitar. The signal from the preamp hits the power amp, which is given its level by the master volume control. Finally, the power amp lets you hear the guitar from the cabinet speakers.
- 71 dB sensitivity
- Highpass filter
- Has a discrete op-amp section
- Bidirectional polar pattern
Use in Audio Production
Preamps are a crucial part of audio production, especially in live band contexts. When you consider that everything in a live band has to be recorded with a microphone, you’ll need something to get those all to an acceptable audio volume.
It cannot be stressed how important a preamp is for recording, especially when you consider the different impedance curves with microphones and their respective power requirements. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that every recording studio in the world has an arsenal of preamps. They’re arguably the most important piece of the equation when it comes to audio production.
They also have their own unique sound and colors, especially with higher-end examples like the aforementioned Neve, as well as examples from Manley, Solid State Logic, and API. Just as an example, the famous sound of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours was driven by creative experimentation with the preamps used to record the band.
Power amps are likewise an important part of audio production, but not nearly as vital. The power amp in a studio setting will be used to power audio monitors or high-end speakers. These are typically fairly high-powered power amps, as they’re intended to deliver audio signals to audio monitors, near-field speakers, and anything else that is used for playback.
Amps aren’t as important a consideration as speakers. Speakers are going to give the best representation of audio. Power amps are still needed for most tasks.
- Multizone power amps for live sound
- Rack mount design
- 2x 200W RMS at 4 ohms stereo
- RCA and XLR inputs
- Frequency response of 10 to 50,000Hz
Use in Home Audio
The preamp isn’t quite as important a factor in home audio. You’ll still need one of course, and just about every high-end audio setup for home use is going to have one as part of the overall signal flow. Since you aren’t quite as concerned with recording at optimal volumes, the preamp is more crucial for gain staging elements of your audio setup.
Gain staging refers to placing each stage of an audio signal at optimal volumes so you get the best overall playback possible. For home use, you typically aren’t going to be concerned with the color and audio distortion of a preamp. In fact, those elements might not be desired at all if you’re powering something like a Dolby Atmos setup.
The power amp also serves the same role, delivering power to the speakers. You’ll typically want something powerful enough to accommodate however many speakers you’re running. Like the preamp, you might want to avoid any sort of coloration, just clear and clean volume.
- Supports 4K Ultra HD, HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG, and and BT.2020
- HDMI 2.1 with HDCP 2.2 (4 in and 1 out)
- 100W (8 ohms)
- YPAO auto-calibration
Preamp vs. Amp: 5 Must-Know Facts
- Preamps exist on any piece of high-end audio equipment intended for recording.
- In recording, preamps might be replaced by audio interfaces which act as a multi-input preamp for digitizing an analog signal.
- Preamps are needed to bring audio levels to acceptable volume, especially for the best possible playback.
- Power amps are used for delivering volume and power to speakers.
- Power amps are typically last in line for the audio signal flow, right before the speakers or headphones.
Preamp vs. Amp: Which One is Better? Which One Should You Choose?
This isn’t really a pick-and-choose sort of comparison. If you’re involved with any sort of high-end audio, you’ll want both of these devices as part of your overall signal flow. Many home audio devices combine the functions of both the preamp and power amp. A receiver is one popular example that is still in use today.
Recording studios are also likely going to have both. This is seen especially in higher-end facilities like Electric Lady, Abbey Road, and Ocean Way. Both of these devices serve as crucial elements in a recording. They provide a lot of the color and sound you might expect from a professional recording.
For home audio, both devices also serve a crucial function. However, given the demands of modern audio, you might want to skip out on the color of analog components and seek out high-quality digital implementations for your surround sound setup. Either way, you’re going to need both.
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- 80 dB of gain
- Audio processing insert
- Gain trim controls
- 48V Phantom Power
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- 71 dB sensitivity
- Highpass filter
- Has a discrete op-amp section
- Bidirectional polar pattern
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- Multizone power amps for live sound
- Rack mount design
- 2x 200W RMS at 4 ohms stereo
- RCA and XLR inputs
- Frequency response of 10 to 50,000Hz
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
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- Supports 4K Ultra HD, HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG, and and BT.2020
- HDMI 2.1 with HDCP 2.2 (4 in and 1 out)
- 100W (8 ohms)
- YPAO auto-calibration
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
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