Goes up to eleven

We've picked 11 amplifiers that will bring the noise (in a good way) to your system of separates, comprising premium offerings between £1000 and £5000

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A stereo amplifier is the MVP in any hi-fi team, being the beating heart of your separates system and the component that necessarily amplifies the audio signals from your source (CD player, turntable, music streamer, etc) to an output that your passive speakers can deliver. Quite simply, no amplifier means no sound!

Which stereo amplifier you choose will greatly impact your overall system performance, so you want a best-in-class performer - one that also offers the connections your sources need.

Stereo amplifiers aren't as simple and stripped back as they used to be; though many still retain a more purist analogue-only approach, the popularity of music streaming means that many now contain built-in digital-to-analogue converters (DACs) for connecting phones, hard drives and digital hi-fi sources.

The vinyl revival has seen many integrate phono stages for turntables, too. So what you require will depend on your needs and the connectivity of any existing equipment you have. That said, at the price range we are focused on here - £1000 to £5000 - you should of course be partnering your amplifier with similarly premium products if you want to get the best out of your system.

Our experienced in-house reviews team tests tens of integrated amplifiers every year (these products tend to have long shelf-lives and we see fewer new amps than other hi-fi elements). Here we focus on the best your money can buy at the more premium end of the integrated market, specifically those priced between £1000 and £5000. You can, of course, go much higher-end, but these amplifiers are the sweet spot between fair money and top-drawer performance, with invariably lovely build and a sonic character that has found favour with us.