Amplifier How To
   
 













How to Buy a Power Amplifier
 
A power amplifier combined with a separate pre-amplifier generally provides the best possible sound quality in a stereo system, and the separate components provide a flexible upgrade path.
 
Steps:
1.  Check your speaker manual to determine minimum and maximum power requirements.
 
2.  Check the nominal impedance specification for your speakers.
 
3.  Consider only models that will be compatible with your current speakers.
 
4.  Base your final choice on the sound quality in your current system, price, manufacturer's warranty, and dealer service before and after the sale.
 
 
Tips:
Other than how it affects sound quality, power is rarely a consideration for solid-state amps.
 
If you have low-impedance speakers, make sure the amplifier power is a match for your speakers. If your speakers require a significant amount of power or are rated below 4 ohms,  stay away from tube amplifiers.
 
Budget between $70 and $800 each for interconnects and speaker cables. Expect to spend at least $300 on cables to get value out of your investment in a good power amplifier.
 
If your pre-amplifier has balanced outputs and your power amplifier has balanced inputs, buy a pair of balanced cables for a significant increase in fidelity.
 
Avoid tubed products if you don't want the hassle of finding and replacing tubes.
 
Rule out high-powered amplifiers and pairs of mono amplifiers if you don't have air-conditioning in the room where you will use them.
 
The link below is to a very good page about amplifiers how they work and what they do if you want more information click on the link below and once you have reviewed the site use the back button on your tool bar to return to our site.
 
Wiring your Amplifier
First, be sure that you have turned your radio off and that your ignition key is also off.
 
Never connect or disconnect the power lead, the ground lead, or any speaker leads with the amp turned on, otherwise you may zap it.
 
Make sure that the first wire you hookup is the ground wire. You might mount your amp to the car at this point. Make it sturdy.
 
If you have an amp that uses the following wire sizes for both Main and ground.
For a 20 amp fuse, use a 12 gauge stranded wire
For a 30 amp fuse, use a 10 gauge stranded wire
For a 50 amp fuse, use a 8 gauge stranded wire.
 
Be sure that there is a fuse at the battery and another at the amp. Some amps have this second fuse built in. Now is the time to pull the fuse at the battery end of the wire.
 
Your ground wire should be only 18 inches or less long. Be sure that you attach your ground wire to the chassis so that the bolt does not cut the wire. Remember, you are trying to get 30 amps or more to flow through this connection.
 
Be sure to check the connection from your battery negative to chassis ground. Sometimes you will need to beef up the wire size to handle the extra current you will be returning through it from your amp. This connection must be at least as big as the wire that you are using to ground the amp. One size larger would be even better. Remember, your ground is a much more important feed wire than your main hot wire and the most often under rated.  Try not to have any splices in your ground or main hot wire. This will insure that there is no restriction of the flow of current to and from your amp.
 
The trigger wire on your amp will come from the "electric antenna" wire on your car stereo. This wire can be rather small because it doesn't carry much current. In order to keep it from being too fragile and susceptible to damage, you might consider a 16 or 18 gauge wire.
 
Be sure to use shielded wire for the sound-carrying wires coming from your radio to the amp. This will help to eliminate ignition noise. This wire will have RCA connectors at each end.
 
These are some basic steps to ensure the proper installation of the Amplifier be sure to follow the directions from the manufacturer.  If you have trouble finding that information e-mail us at Sun Shine Internet Sales and we will be sure to get the information for you.
 
How To Buy an Intergrated Amplifier
 
An integrated amplifier, which contains a pre-amplifier and a power amplifier in the same box, provides significantly better sound quality than a receiver but generally not as good quality as a separate pre-amplifier and a power amplifier.
 
 
1.   Decide on a budget. Expect to spend $200 to $500 for a mid-fidelity amplifier or $500 to                 $2,000 for an entry-level, high-fidelity amplifier. 
 
2.   Decide if you need an amplifier with a phono stage (to attach a turntable). 
 
3.   Determine how many inputs and outputs you need. 
 
4.   Choose between features and sound quality. For example, tone controls, available on some        models, degrade sound quality. 
 
5.   Base your final choice on sound quality in your current system, price, warranty, features, and        dealer service before and after the sale. 

How to Buy a Pre-Amplifier
 
A pre-amplifier combined with a separate power amplifier generally provides the best possible sound quality in a stereo system, and the separate components provide a more flexible upgrade path. A pre-amplifier is the most important electronic component in your system, because even the best ones add noise.
 
 
 
Steps:
1.  Decide whether you need a pre-amp with a phono stage for playing records. Determine how many inputs and outputs you need.
 
2.  Become familiar with the sound-quality differences between tube and solid-state amplifiers.
 
3.       Look at our Accessories page  to find appropriate cables to use between the pre-amplifier and power amplifier.
 
4.  Make your decision based on sound quality in your current system, price, manufacturer's warranty (especially critical for tube equipment), features, and dealer service before and after the sale.
 
5.  Budget between $70 and $800 for cables to get value out of your investment in a good pre-amplifier. Even if you already have good cables, be prepared for a potential mismatch with your new equipment.
 
6.  Buy a pair of balanced cables for a significant increase in fidelity if your pre-amplifier has balanced outputs and your power amplifier has balanced inputs.
 
 
Tips:
You can save several hundred dollars by not buying a pre-amp with a phono stage if you do not listen to records.
 
Connect your CD player directly to your power amplifier if you only listen to CDs and have a CD player with variable output gain.
 
Your choices will be limited if you need two tape loops for recording equipment or external processors.
 
Using the same brand of pre-amplifier and power amplifier often provides better sound than "mix and match" components