However, to do it well requires areas of expertise that include both audio and microchip programming. It has been made possible by advances in microchip development, dropping microchip prices and a lower price of their programing. Leaving the front panel unspoiled, manufacturers equip their amplifiers with tone, loudness and balance control in a way that is not visible. The others claim that the only thing that matters is the sound.įor some time, however, there have been attempts to combine those two approaches. The former believe that an integrated should provide its user with the freedom to connect it to any given device and help to shape the sound. Both have their advocates and it is rather pointless to argue with either of them. The former units have great functionality with plenty of knobs and switches while the latter group are stripped of those extra features sporting only an input selector and volume control.
One is “Japanese”, represented by components from Accuphase and Luxman, and the other is “British”, exemplified by products from Naim, Arcam and Linn.
The integrated amplifier idiom has two faces, though. The “integrated” in its name informs us that we deal with a pre-amplifier and power amplifier in one box. It is usually a modestly sized component with a volume control and input selector, which is fed with a signal from the source (a CD or turntable for instance) and is used to drive the loudspeakers. Verybody knows what an integrated amplifier is.