[lu-be]

When building a sound system, both a preamp and an amp are needed to appropriately power and control the sound coming from the source. The preamp serves to adjust the weaker signal coming from a source like a record player or CD player into a stronger signal, which is then transmitted to the amp. The amp, or power amplifier, will take the stronger signal from the preamp and power the loudspeakers connected to it.

Simply put, the preamp performs lower level, subtle sound control, and the amp is responsible for generating the actual power needed to produce sound at the appropriate volume.

Therefore, when building a sound system, it’s necessary to have both a preamp and an amp to ensure the best possible sound quality.