NEWB audiophile (pre-amp, amp, rec)

[bdon]

I am about to buy a pari of axiom M2i's off of my uncle. I am also going to possibly get a Hsu sub. I will need a receiver, i know that much. But what exactly does a pre-amp do? Does an amp work the same way as an amp in a car does??? PLEASe help me on what would be the best way for me to setup my future system. I have an apartment with a decent size living room. I want the system to sound good at all volumes.

 

[bdon]

Addition

ps what's the differnecr between the integrated amps, and powered amps??

 

[mtrycrafts]

ps what's the differnecr between the integrated amps, and powered amps??

An integrated amp contains a preamp and a power amp, no FM/AM radio.
Receivers contain all of these, or at least one part of a tuner but most likely both AM and FM.

Mostly they switch between all your inputs. It also processes digital signals and if your receiver has a turntable input, it has that RIAA section in it.

So, depending on your speaker impedance and sensitivity, that will have a bearing on which receiver to buy, one that is able to drive those speakers

 

[MDS]

- Preamp: The 'brains' of a system. It switches among various inputs (CD, DVD, Tape, etc). It takes low level ('line level') signals and amplifies them a tiny bit and provides a volume control. Nowadays preamps also include processing for various digital formats (Dolby Digital, DTS, etc) and are generally known as 'pre/pros' (for preamp/processor).

- Amp: amplifies line levels signals and sends them to your speakers.

- Integrated Amp: Preamp+Amp in one box.

- Receiver: Preamp/Processor/Amp+Tuner(radio) all in one box.

For most systems a Receiver is all you need. If you have a large room or want to listen at extremely high levels, a separate amp may be necessary. You can either buy a separate pre/pro and amp or buy a receiver that has pre-outs and connect an amp to the receiver pre-outs.