Amplifiers - Basic Stuff i need to wrap my head around

[E-Stat]

You'll have to excuse this general and low-level question but i need to know some stuff about amplifiers so that i can decide if i need to get one.

Welcome to AR. I think you'll find this will be a valuable resource for useful information.

A)First of all, Do you think it helps to have an amplifier to process all audio signals before delivering them to the speakers?I mean is the difference noticeable when it comes to amp or no amp?

I think some of the terminology has led you astray. At any system's fundamental level, there is always a power amplifier. In the beginning, there is a source. Most of them including tuners, tape decks, CD players, digital juke boxes deliver a nominal 2 volt output. And there are outliers that have either slightly less or more output (my CDP delivers 4 volts), but none of them are capable of driving a loudspeaker. Output from phonograph cartridges requires a separate amplification stage to both increase the level of the signal and shape it as well. Also, there is a preamplifier that usually comes between the source and the amplifier. They have the control logic (volume, balance, source selection) and also provide some gain as well. Now is where the amplifier fits in. They take the "line level" output and amplify it by a factor of about 800 times or so in order to drive the speaker (29 db gain). The confusing part is that amplifiers can be found broadly in three different categories: power amp, integrated amp and receiver. They differ in the additional capabilities each one possesses. Starting at the most complex, a receiver is a power amp, preamp and tuner in one chassis. An integrated amp combines the preamp and power amp in one box. Power amps do that function alone.

B)What are the gains of having an amp?Louder volume,less noise distortion,greater base and treble?Are the above statements true?

Regarding the benefits of a better amp, all of the above can be true. There are vast differences in the qualitative performance of audio gear.

C)So how does it work?I mean how can you get more bass,less noise and louder volume without distorting the source?

The answer to the first question is quite complex. There are different design strategies and qualitative differences found in the various components that comprise an amplifier. The modest $300 NAD 325BEE integrated provides good sound within its power range. On the other hand, the best amp I've heard is a pair of $40k VTL Siegfried mono amps. They are high powered and offer a degree of clarity way beyond that of the NAD.

I wonder why software equalizers fail to provide results when supposedly amp handle this kind of work,why is it that they're superior to this?

Hmmm. Not sure of the exact question here. Amps simply increase the level of the source. Understand that the quality of sources varies widely. You cannot *fix* what is lost in the beginning.

rw