Looking at modern audio amplifier products, one cannot help but be overwhelmed by the number of technologies and models. I will assist you understand some of the key amplifier jargon expressions. This knowledge will assist you select the best amplifier.

An audio amplifier will connect your audio source with your loudspeakers by converting the rather weak source signal into a strong enough signal to drive your loudspeakers.

Depending on your application, you might desire to go with a source that already has a built-in amplifier. Still, using a separate amplifier will give you more flexibility in selecting the type that best complements your speakers. Some of today’s miniature amplifier types can be concealed virtually anywhere due to their small size.

Output wattage is one of the criteria that many people will take into account first when choosing an amplifier as driving low-sensitivity speakers or driving speakers in large rooms or outdoors requires fairly high wattage. Still, be cautious not to overdrive your speakers. This can harm your speakers beyond repair.

But don’t be overly worried about wattage. An amp supplying 20 to 50 Watts will give you more than plenty of power to sufficiently drive a speaker in any but the largest room.

Amplifier output power is given in Watts rms (continuous) and Watts peak. The rms or continuous value tells you how much power the amplifier can provide continuously while the peak power figure tells the highest wattage that the amplifier can provide for short intervals of time. Normally you should select an amplifier based on rms power. Though, make sure that the amplifier has sufficient headroom or peak power to eliminate clipping of music signals.

Audio quality is just as imperative as having adequate audio power and consequently you should also look at figures such as total harmonic distortion or THD. Every amplifier will introduce some imperfections into the audio signal which is referred to as distortion and expressed in percent or dB. A smaller distortion number means a lower distortion of the audio signal by the amplifier. Audiophile amplifiers will have distortion numbers of usually less than 0.05%. Consumer-grade amplifiers will have distortion figures of up to 10%.

Another figure related to audio quality is known as signal-to-noise ratio and describes the amount of unwanted noise the amplifier will add to the signal. Higher-end amplifiers will attain a signal-to-noise ratio of at least 100 dB whereas consumer grade amplifiers will normally have a signal ratio of at least 80 dB.

Most of today’s amplifiers are so-called Class-D amplifiers which means that they have higher power efficiency than Class-A or Class-AB amplifiers and thus waste little energy as heat. Class-A and Class-AB amplifiers demand a fair amount of heat sinking and consequently are usually fairly large and heavy. In contrast, amplifiers based on the Class-D technology are small and lightweight. Some of today’s smallest mini amplifiers are no larger than a deck of cards. A lot of Class-D amplifiers, though, have higher distortion and a lower signal-to-noise ratio than Class-A or Class-AB amplifiers. Be sure to look closely at these numbers when picking a Class-D type amplifier.

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