Ultimately, they act as the nerve centre of your Home Cinema/Audio System, delivering brilliant room filling sound. Let’s look closer ….

Receivers perform a host of essential functions including decoding surround sound from DVD, Blue Ray or Cable TV box, sending the audio to your surround sound speakers to provide a combination of solid dynamic expression, enthusing each vocal line with a sharper punch and greater clarity.

Isn’t that what amplifiers do?

If there’s one thing the audio industry has made an art form, it’s using terminology that means almost… but not quite the same thing. A good example of this is with the terms ‘amplifier’ and ‘receiver.’ At times, it can seem that these are completely interchangeable terms but there are differences between the two.

So is a receiver the same as an amplifier? An amplifier is just a device that takes an audio signal and amplifies it so that your speakers can use it to play the audio. A receiver has an amplifier in it, but has extra functionalities such as a tuner, preamp, radio, input selection, volume controls, and more.

When you talk about amps vs receivers, you’re really talking about whether you should buy a system where all of the components (the amp, the preamp, the tuner, etc) are separate and self-contained, usually called separates, or if you want a receiver which keeps all of the components together in one device.

We provide AV information to help existing and new customers gain more understanding of products, services and the industry. We have a mixture of clients, some have a great depth of knowledge and some have very little – and both is fine! We are here to give you knowledge, advice and recommendations based upon your requirements and desires.