The category of integrated amps or just amps as they are called in the UK has gone through a big resurgence in the past few years as more people are enjoying music than ever before. Whether it's vinyl, streaming, legacy CDs or more, an integrated amp is a great choice for a lot of music lovers. We thought it would be fun to pick our top 5 under $1,500 to help you narrow down your choices if you are in the market for an upgrade.
For those of you new to home audio, an integrated amp is a combination of two pieces of gear: a stereo preamplifier and stereo power amplifier. The job of a preamp is to switch your inputs and adjust the volume before sending the signal off to the power amp. It just handles all of the source signals which are at a low level. A power amp provides the power that actually drives your speakers.
Preamps vary in the number and type of inputs. Some may have a phono input, digital inputs with a built-in Digital to Analog Converter, and a few models have a Bluetooth receiver built-in as well.
When you combine the amp and preamp into one box, it becomes an integrated amp.
Music lovers prefer integrated amps over home theater receivers as they typically have a more musical sound. The companies making integrated amplifiers usually have a background in high-performance audio and put more emphasis on sound and simple circuitry than lots of features.
Most people who upgrade to a new integrated amp usually tell us they heard a marked improvement in audio quality. And with their simple design, most integrated amplifiers will last you for decades.
The first step in picking out the best integrated amplifier for your needs is to think about the sources you will want to connect up to it and the type of speakers you might want to use now or in the future.
These sources might include a turntable, in which case you will want to get an integrated amp with a phono input. Or if the one you like does not have a phono input, you can always buy an even better separate phono preamp that would connect to an auxiliary input. Most integrated amps have several of these auxiliary-type analog inputs which handle phono preamps, CD players, cassette decks, and more. Some even have digital inputs for a connection from your TV.
How powerful an amp you need will depend on the speakers you are looking to drive. You’ll notice a lot of these amps do not have what seems like a high power rating. However, what they do have is a lot of current, which is what really determines how well an amplifier can drive your speakers. But even so, you still would not want to pair up a pair of speakers with a low sensitivity rating in a large room with a low-powered amp. We consider anything below 88 dB to be on the low side for sensitivity for a speaker rating.
So with all that in mind, let’s dive in and look at our top five suggestions under $1,500.
Even since the late 1970s when NAD launched their first product, the 3020 integrated amplifier, they have been known for making some of the best value integrated amps on the planet! The original 3020 rocked the audio world with its sound value and that fully continues in the updated and multi-award winning C316BEE V2. For many people just starting to get into separates, it is an extremely compelling unit.
You’ll get 4 analog inputs on the rear plus a mini plug on the front. The moving magnet phono preamp is not just an afterthought but a design pulled from their more expensive models. It is super low noise and even has an infrasonic filter to reject ultra-low frequency noise. All of the rear inputs are even gold plated with speaker terminals that are very serious for an amp in this price range.
We love the retro look of the C316BEE V2 which is actually very similar to their original 3020. Each source has a discrete button and there are tone controls with defeat, and a full sized headphone jack.
But the real reason people love the C316BEE V2 is on the inside. NAD’s PowerDrive circuit has been around for years in all of their amps. It uses computer intelligence to optimize the power supply settings to deliver the best performance for playing back actual music. It makes this little jewel sound far bigger and more robust than you would think for its 50-watt per channel rating. You even get a large toroidal power transformer, heavy duty fully discrete output transistors, and expensive smoothing capacitors. It really has all of the hallmarks you would expect from a much more expensive unit.
NAD’s proven audio tech is one reason the earlier 316 won so many awards and now with a great phono preamp, it is very hard to beat for the money.
Rotel, like NAD has been known for making outstanding value audio gear for decades. Their integrated amps have been Audio Advice favorites since the mid-80s.
The A11MKII is a model that will give you wonderful sound but with a full feature set for more contemporary music systems. It has 3 analog inputs, plus a moving magnet phono input.
For even more connectivity you get Bluetooth Apt-X with an optical and coax digital input. The optical can come in very handy for connecting up a TV. The built-in DAC is first class using premium TI DAC chips capable of 32/384 decoding.
Rotel A11 MKII Integrated Amplifier
The front panel is both beautiful and simple with bass, treble, and balance controls. You’ll find a handy headphone jack too.
If you pop the cover, you will see a very clean design with a large power supply which uses a toroidal transformer all on one side with the low level circuitry on the other. You’ll also see the large heatsinks for the discrete Class AB power amp rated very conservatively at 50 watts per channel.
This is a very smooth-sounding amp, as a matter of fact, “sweet” is the first term that we all agreed on when the first demo cut started playing.
For those of you who appreciate a few more features and want to stay well south of $1,000, the A11MKII is a great choice.
This model is technically not an integrated amplifier since it has an AM/FM radio built it, but it just has so many cool features with that warm Marantz sound, that we felt like we should talk about it.
The Stereo 70s is for the person who wants great sound but also has some video sources they also want to use. There are a total of 6 HDMI inputs with one output to run to your TV or this can be an audio return channel for compatible TVs. The audio side has 3 analog inputs, coax and Toslink, and a USB A host input, plus a very good moving magnet phono input. Throw in their Heos music streaming app, and Bluetooth and you have a unit with every possible way to get sound in one compact package.
Marantz Stereo 70S Slimline AV Receiver
You also will get two sets of speaker outputs, two mono subwoofer outs, and preamp outs should you want more power later. We also liked the fact you can set up a way to watch one thing while listening to another source at the same time.
The DACs inside the Stereo 70S can handle Hi-Res Audio up to 24/192 and DSD up to 5.6 megahertz. The power amp portion is very similar to what they use in their more expensive audio-only integrated amps. The power amp section is a fully discrete Class A/B design rated at 75 watts per channel just like what you find in high-performance separate power amplifiers.
But the real magic came in with the addition of HDAM. Marantz developed HDAM or High Dynamic Amplifier Modules back in 1992. They consist of fully discrete circuitry with hand-selected components to give you the quietest possible signal path in the preamp stage of their products. This is the first time HDAM has shown up in a Marantz slimline 2-channel receiver. Units we have heard with HDAM have an almost completely silent background which helps allow all of those tiny details in your music to come to life.
When we looked at all of these features with the fact Marantz has paid a lot of attention to the audio performance, we felt this unit deserves serious consideration if you want more than a basic stereo system.
The Brio is all about combining old school analog with the latest solid-state technology to deliver engaging British sound. They package it all up in a retro-looking small case that looks pretty unassuming until you turn it on and listen.
For the inputs, you get an excellent moving magnet phono input, 4 more analog inputs, and a record out to allow you to make cassette or reel-to-reel mixtapes. There is one set of solid speaker binding posts on the rear. Interestingly, all the switching occurs at the back panel to keep the signal path as short as possible.
The front has a full-sized headphone jack with a headphone amp that rivals many separate headphone amps we have heard.
Rega also uses a toroidal power transformer and a Class AB amplifier design. The preamp section has a secondary power supply to keep things fully isolated. The volume knob feels a little jerky to us in how it responds to the remote, but it is superlinear and you can tell Rega put the money into the sound.
This amp will surprise you with how well it can drive speakers way beyond its price range. If you are the type who wants your amp to be pure analog, with a great phono preamp, with an excellent headphone amp to boot, you can not beat the Brio.
I’d also like to mention the Rega io for those of you intrigued with the Brio but might not need as much power to save some money. It's basically a scaled down version of the Brio with just two aux inputs, a moving magnet phono, and a headphone jack. And impressively both the Brio and io are made in Rega’s own factory in the UK.
The Rega io has that same sweet sound as the Brio and it has blown us and many reviewers away at how good it sounds for the money. If you love that classic British sound either of these will be wonderful choices and you should reach out to our team to see which one would pair best with your speakers.
The last and most expensive integrated amp on our list is from our friends at Arcam, who have also been making great value products for many decades. This is the top model in their new Radia series. You will get an optical in, 2 coax digital, 3 analog RCA, a great moving magnet phono preamp, preamp outputs, Bluetooth, and 2 pairs of speaker terminals. A unique feature for streaming is a USB-C port allowing you to directly connect your new iPhone, laptop, or tablet to take advantage of the ESS ES9280A PRO DACs built in.
But the real deal and why this integrated is on our list is its amplifier section. The A25 is rated at 100 watts per channel but uses Class G amplification. You may not have heard about Class G but it gives amazing dynamics and clarity.
Class AB is what all of the other amps on this list use and is considered to be excellent, but Class G takes it one step further. Think about the first time you heard your favorite song on a really nice audio setup. You probably noticed all the small, often quieter, details in the song that a lesser-quality setup wouldn’t reveal. The true magic behind superb audio reproduction isn’t the loud parts but rather those minute details that come alive and make you experience the music on a whole new level. This is where Class G amplification comes in as a clever solution.
Class A has always been considered the very best type of amplifier, but it's very expensive to make one with enough power to drive speakers to loud levels.
Class G inside the A25 uses dual windings, which enables it to be pure Class A up to 15W with zero crossover distortion. Then, when it needs more power, it will cross over to Class AB. This makes it a very efficient design as the additional power is only used when required and can switch instantly with virtually zero lag. ARCAM has been constantly developing and improving its Class G amps for years. The Class G amp inside the A25 is their fifth and newest generation, so you can be sure you have the best-sounding ARCAM Class G amp on the market.
If you have speakers that are a little hard or difficult to drive, you will be amazed at how the Arcam A25 will wake them up!
We hope this overview will help you pick the best amp when it comes time to upgrade your system. If you have further questions, contact our experts via chat, phone, or email. Or simply visit one of our world-class showrooms to experience speakers, projectors, TVs, and everything in between for yourself before you make a purchase!
When you buy from Audio Advice, you’re buying from a trusted seller since 1978. We offer Free Shipping, Lifetime Expert Support, and our Price Guarantee. We look forward to serving you!
Rotel A11 MKII Integrated Amplifier
Marantz Stereo 70S Slimline AV Receiver
Pro-Ject Audio has introduced a new line of turntables for the music lover who wants great sound, but wants the turntable setup to be super simple. These have amazing tech and performance level, but come ready to go out of the box. No tonearm balancing, cartridge aligning, checking azimuth or more required. Learn more about these great sounding ...
If you have been doing research on turntables, perhaps looking to purchase your first turntable, you may have noticed that some models are classified as belt-drive turntables while others are referred to as direct-drive turntables. So what’s the difference, and which is better?
...
Audio Advice’s top picks for the best turntables under $2,000 is here! There are a lot of great turntables in the $1,000 to $2,000 price range, which created a fairly heated debate between our team members, but it was all in fun, as we just love this great hobby of enjoying vinyl. Find out what made the list!
...
We’ve spent countless hours testing turntables and have curated a list of our top picks under $500 so you can enjoy your vinyl without breaking the bank! Endorsed by Audio Advice’s turntable experts, each entry on our curated list boasts their stamp of approval, giving you confidence in any choice you make.
...
Welcome to Audio Advice’s top 5 record players under $1,000 for 2024. If you’ve landed here, we will assume you already know a bit about turntables and we do not need to go over the basics. All of the turntables on this list are fully manual, which, as you probably know, is the preferred choice for vinyl lovers.
...
The new Classic Series from JBL takes its inspiration from vintage gear of the 60s yet is full of the latest audio technology to give you the best fidelity with a retro look and feel. While each of the 4 units can stand on their own, they look and sound wonderful as a stack. Learn about this great new integrated amp, turntable, streamer, and CD ...
U-Turn Audio has taken their very popular Orbit series and really upped the game. With a new one piece magnesium tonearm, improved belt, and detailed performance testing, these are now an even better value than before. The new Orbit 2 Special even gets the same speed control as their top of the line Theory.
...
If you’re just getting started with vinyl, a quality pair of powered speakers provides a solid foundation for a system you can grow with over time. Upgrading your speakers can enhance your vinyl listening experience.
Let’s take a closer look at three great brands that offer good powered speakers for turntables. Assuming you have an en...
If you are new to vinyl collecting and playback, we recommend starting at the beginning and read through. If you are already well-versed in the turntable world, you may want to skip to the advanced or features sections.
...
Watch our overview of three outstanding turntable mats from Auditorium of Germany and SPEC of Japan. Aftermarket turntable mats have been around since the 1970s as an accessory that vinyl lovers can add to their turntable with the goal being improved sound, updated appearance, a reduction in static or all three.
...
