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A speaker amplifier, or “amp” for short, is an electronic device that boosts an audio signal’s power to a level that can be heard through speakers or headphones. Some form of a speaker amp is necessary regardless of whether you’re playing music from a turntable, a laptop, or a CD player. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll need to invest in a standalone amp, as many amps these days are built into the speakers themselves.

In this guide, we’ll review the basics of speaker amplification and help you decide if you need an amp for your setup.

To explain the job of a speaker amp within the context of a home audio setup, let’s start with an example of what an audio signal can sound like 

If you play a vinyl record before connecting or turning on your speakers, you’ll notice a faint sound of music emanating from the turntable itself. Sometimes referred to as “needle talk," this sound is actually the vibration of your record player’s stylus as it runs along the record’s groove. Without amplification, this vibration can sound high-pitched and whisper-quiet. Before you can enjoy it as music, it must be converted into an electrical signal and made louder. Much louder.

A speaker amp is the device responsible for boosting — or 

 — this electrical signal so that it can be heard from your speakers as music. Think of an amp as the muscle of your audio setup, taking a weak signal from your audio device and pumping it up to a level that can drive your 

So, the speaker amplifier’s primary job is to increase the volume of your audio. But an amp has other responsibilities, too. It helps to regulate the level of power supplied to your speakers so they don’t get pushed beyond their limits and damaged. An amp can even shape your sound in various ways, from reducing distortion to adjusting the audio signal’s tone and frequency to suit your preferences (a process known as equalization, or EQ).

A speaker amplifier works by taking a weak electrical signal from your musical source — like a turntable or CD player — and increasing its 

. Amplitude is a measurement of a sound wave’s strength, with higher amplitude sound waves creating louder sounds and lower amplitude sound waves creating quieter sounds.

Once the audio signal is amplified, the amp sends it to the speakers. The powered signal then creates vibrations in the speaker cone, which generate sound waves that your ears hear as music.

Most amps come with controls that allow you to fine-tune the sound and adjust the gain, which refers to how much the audio signal is boosted before it’s sent to the speakers. More gain means more volume, but too much gain can distort the sound quality and result in a phenomenon called “clipping,” whereby the tops and bottoms of the sound wave are chopped off because the amp can’t handle the full breadth of the signal. Not only can this sound unpleasant, but it can also damage your speakers by pushing them beyond their maximum capacity.

Fortunately, most high-quality amplifiers have built-in protections to prevent any damage resulting from excessive gain. These amps may limit the amount of power sent to the speakers to avoid issues like overheating and tearing of the speaker cone.

One point to underline here is that, regardless of its type, an amp relies on electricity to work, so it will need to be either plugged into an electrical outlet or powered by a battery.

Amp placed next to a turntable on a shelf

 to listen to music or watch movies with your 

. But if you’re looking for the amp in your home audio setup and can’t find it, there may be a good reason.

While an amp is always a necessary component, it isn’t always a 

 component. Most Sonos speakers, for example, include a built-in amp so they’re ready to play right out of the box. These are called 

, or powered speakers, because they actively generate their own power and don’t require an external amp.

Speakers without built-in amplifiers are commonly referred to as passive speakers. These speaker types are often used in 

, where the speakers are discreetly installed into a room’s walls or ceiling. Passive speakers require power from an external amp, like our WiFi-enabled 

 will largely depend on your audio setup and your willingness to pair your speakers with an external amplifier. A 

 with in-ceiling or in-wall speakers will likely require a separate amp for power. But you can also achieve phenomenally realistic surround sound with, say, a pair of Sonos 

 speakers, each of which includes six class-D digital amplifiers to power your sound experience.

If you’re set on including architectural or outdoor speakers in your home audio system, you’ll need a high-quality amplifier that can deliver enough power for multiroom listening. That’s where 

 can help. With 125 watts per channel, it has more than enough power to produce high volumes with clear, undistorted sound. Whether your goal is a 

 or a smart home with seamless control, Amp is all the amp you’ll ever need.

What Is a Speaker Amplifier (And Do You Need One)?

Though some listeners prefer their shelves of vinyl and stacks of CDs, most music libraries now exist in digital file formats that are more convenient to store and easier to access on the go. But it’s not particularly helpful to simply describe an audio file format as “digital” because that can mean different things — and different levels of sound quality. Audio files in fact come in multiple formats, and not all of these formats are made equal.

One of the major differences between audio file formats relates to a process called 

. As its name implies, compression makes file sizes smaller. This can be useful for saving storage space on a hard drive, but it can also have consequences for the quality of the original audio recording.

The compression process essentially reduces the amount of data contained in an audio waveform, and this loss of data may result in noticeable loss of quality to the listener. Some audio file formats that undergo this 

 type of compression include MP3, AAC, and Ogg/Vorbis.

 diminish audio quality. Some newer compression technologies manage to shrink the file size while retaining all of the audio information from the original recording; audio files that undergo this type of compression are known as 

Finally, there are audio files that undergo no compression. These 

 audio files are generally much larger in size, but they avoid the audio quality issues that plague some compressed formats.

. Let’s dive deeper into each type and explore some common examples.

Lossy audio files are compressed in such a way that some of the original recording’s fidelity is lost. You may find it strange that 

 would prefer a lossy audio file to one that retains all of the richness and complexity of an uncompressed file. But lossy files tend to take up much less bandwidth and storage space, which makes them a good compromise for music-streaming services.

And before you think “lossy” automatically means “bad quality,” consider whether your ears will even notice the difference. Many people find it difficult to detect any difference between CD quality (16 bits/44.1 kHz) and higher bitrate standards, which some lossy file formats technically achieve. If it makes no difference to your ears, it makes sense to opt for a smaller file size when possible.

On that note, let’s look at four lossy audio file types you may come across.

The MP3 audio file format became immensely popular in the early 2000s. At the time, it was among the most efficient ways to get an audio track from a CD and store it on a digital hard drive or on a “burned” CD. The MP3 file format is much smaller than that of an uncompressed CD audio track.

MP3s were revolutionary for their time and led to a huge leap forward in portable listening, as they were the basis for early digital audio players. You may even still have some MP3s stored on your hard drive, but the format is lossy and some people may be able to pick out the difference between an MP3 and a CD-quality track.

AAC stands for Advanced Audio Coding, which is another lossy coding standard used in audio track compression. AAC quality doesn’t rise to the level of 

 but it is a step up from the MP3, delivering better quality at a comparable file size.

Though perhaps not quite as ubiquitous as the MP3, the AAC format is everywhere and you’ve probably encountered it yourself. It was the preferred format of the iTunes music store and continues to be available on AAC-compatible devices.

OGG is a versatile and open-source multimedia compression technology. You may have heard of Ogg/Vorbis, which is an OGG format typically used for audio compression. Spotify frequently uses this format for its streams.

Though lossy, OGG audio files retain pretty good sound quality. Their size and quality are both advantages over other lossy compression formats, and they are widely used for streaming audio over the internet.

WMA is short for Windows Media Audio — a hint that this is a proprietary format developed by Microsoft. Though it achieves slightly better quality than MP3, the lossy WMA format is not widely compatible with non-Microsoft devices and thus has limited utility.

Person seated in a chair listening to a white Era 300 placed on a console

 are those that are compressed in such a way that the quality of the original recording essentially stays intact. In other words, no discernible aspect of the audio is lost in the process of compression.

Just be aware that “lossless” does not mean uncompressed. A lossless track is still compressed, though it uses a data algorithm to retain all of the original recording’s quality. Lossless quality generally equates to about 16 bits/44.1 kHz or higher, which means it sounds at least as good as a CD.

Below are some of the most common lossless file types.

FLAC stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec. A “codec” is basically a process that compresses and decompresses digital files, so the name here basically says it all: This was developed as a free way to achieve lossless compression.

Many audiophiles consider FLAC the gold standard of digital audio formats, as it achieves a much smaller size than a raw uncompressed audio file without sacrificing any discernible audio quality.

ALAC stands for Apple Lossless Audio Codec. It was developed by Apple as a lossless successor to AAC. The company currently offers its entire Apple Music catalog in ALAC resolutions ranging from CD quality to higher.

There is indeed a lossless alternative to the lossy Windows Media Audio format mentioned above. It isn’t as common as FLAC and Apple’s ALAC, and it doesn’t stand out in terms of compression efficiency or audio quality. With that said, this WMA format does offer a lossless audio experience to (primarily) Microsoft users.

Person outdoors listening to Soft White Sonos Ace headphones

As the name suggests, uncompressed audio files do not undergo any type of compression. This means that there is no data lost in the process of compression, and every aspect of the original recording is preserved.

Many audiophiles hold uncompressed file types up as the holy grail of digital audio, but these file types come with a few of their own disadvantages. For one, they tend to be quite large; if you store a ton of uncompressed files locally, you’ll likely need additional hard drive space. Their cumbersome size also means it may be difficult to find truly uncompressed files on many streaming services.

Let’s check out three of the most common uncompressed audio formats.

WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) is a hi-res audio format used for encoding CD audio data. Though WAV files can technically store compressed data, they are typically used for uncompressed audio.

WAV files are known for their excellent sound quality, but they’re also notorious for their very large file sizes.

AIFF, or Audio Interchange File Format, is similar to WAV in many ways. (In fact, it was developed by Apple around the same time Microsoft and IBM were developing the WAV format.)

AIFF audio files are comparable to WAV files, and both are generally compatible with Microsoft and Apple systems. But AIFF files are rare and suffer from large file sizes, so you probably won’t see them much.

The DSD (Direct Stream Digital) format is another one that’s popular among audiophiles. It aims to capture the original analog waveform in a way that replicates what you might hear coming out of a high-quality record player. Though beloved among a small subset of listeners, DSD hasn’t caught on with the mainstream and uncompressed DSD files are simply too large to make sense for internet-dependent streaming applications.

At the end of the day, the audio file type you use is only as good as the equipment you play it on. If you don’t plan to invest in a hi-fi sound system with quality components, it might not matter whether you use an MP3, AAC, or lossless audio file format.

 isn’t as unattainable as you may think. With a premium speaker like 

 or the spatial audio capabilities of a soundbar like 

, you’ll be more likely to discern the differences between lossy and lossless audio quality.

From there, the file format you choose depends mostly on how you listen to music. If you mostly stream music but want the best quality possible, look for services that feature FLAC and ALAC encoding. If storage space isn’t an issue and you play mostly files from your CD library, WAV could make more sense.

Of course, it helps to be honest with yourself about how much quality really matters. Some people are just fine with lossy formats, and sometimes the convenience of smaller file sizes outweighs any difference in audio quality.

Experience multiple audio formats with Sonos

At this point, you may be wondering what audio formats Sonos supports. Our 

 include many of the formats mentioned in this guide. This includes high-quality lossless and uncompressed audio encoded using FLAC and ALAC, with a maximum bit depth ranging from CD quality to higher.

White Five next to a walnut turntable placed on a console

Beginner's Guide to Audio File Types (And Which to Use)

Perhaps you’ve noticed a recent uptick in music streaming services advertising “lossless audio.” As technology improves, more of these services have been able to improve their song libraries by supporting higher-resolution formats. That’s good news for the millions of music lovers who have adopted streaming as their go-to means of listening to music. But to take full advantage of this shift, it helps to know what lossless audio actually is and whether your preferred streaming service actually supports it.

Lossless audio can be a confusing term, especially since so many streaming services are now beginning to offer tiers or packages that distinguish between “lossy” and “lossless” file formats. The idea is that lossless audio means higher quality, and this is generally true — though it helps to understand the 

 before you rush to upgrade your audio setup.

Let’s define lossless audio and walk through what you need to listen to it at home.

The term “lossless audio” describes compressed 

 that retain all of the audio information from the original recording. This is in contrast to “lossy audio,” which describes compressed file formats that delete some of the original audio information.

It’s important to note that both lossless and lossy audio files go through a process called compression, which involves shrinking the size of the file so that it takes up less storage space. Compression certainly has its benefits — it makes files easier to store locally and requires less internet bandwidth for uninterrupted streaming. But the compression process can result in the loss of some audio data, which some people may be able to detect as inferior quality.

What’s lost in a “lossy” audio file?

To understand what’s lost in a “lossy” file, it helps to know how sample rate and bit depth work. Together, these two measurements tell us something about a digital audio file’s sound quality.

 Digital audio files take a certain number of snapshots of a recording’s original soundwave, then stitch these together to form a reproduction of the original recording. The more snapshots taken, the higher the sample rate — and the higher the sample rate, the higher the quality.

It also helps if each of these snapshots is capturing the entire soundwave, or just a portion of it. Digital recordings that capture more of the range between loud and quiet are said to have a higher 

Combine a high-enough sample rate with a high-enough bit depth, and you get a compressed digital reproduction that’s basically indistinguishable from the original recording. In other words, you get “lossless audio.” But if the compression process favors a lower sample rate and bit depth in favor of a smaller file size, it may result in a “lossy” audio file.

Person doing yoga in front of a white Beam placed under a tv

Lossless audio is already available on a number of popular streaming services. Apple Music, for example, touts a proprietary lossless audio compression technology called 

. Amazon Music subscribers can also find lossless audio at two tiers of quality: 

High Definition and Ultra High Definition

Both Apple Music and Amazon Music define “lossless audio” as starting at CD quality (or 16-bit). You may not think of CDs as the most cutting-edge technology, but standard CD quality audio was originally determined to be high enough that the human ear could not detect a difference between CD quality and the original recording. 

 show that some people may be able to hear beyond that with training, but if you’re looking for the shortest path to lossless audio, consider dusting off your old CD collection.

Is lossless audio better than regular audio?

The short answer is yes. Lossless audio offers a better and richer sound experience than lossy audio alternatives, which have become the “regular audio” standard thanks to the rise of streaming services.

But for the best listening experience, nothing beats a quality speaker. The difference between an Apple ALAC file and an Amazon Ultra High Definition file is relatively small, but your cell phone’s built-in speaker won’t do either of them justice. To really benefit from lossless audio technology, you’ll need equipment that can handle it.

What do I need to listen to lossless audio?

Lossless audio is much more attainable than it used to be, and a quality speaker or headphones should be all you need. Since lossless audio covers a wider range of frequencies than lossy audio, your speakers should be able to handle frequencies within the full range of human hearing (generally 20 Hz to 20 kHz).

You can even listen to lossless audio wirelessly with Sonos products. Our 

Yes, though this hasn’t always been the case. It’s exceedingly difficult to transmit audio data over Bluetooth without at least a bit of compression, so most Bluetooth speakers and earbuds don’t support lossless audio. Sonos Ace is among a relatively small class of headphones that can achieve lossless audio with a Bluetooth connection. For other headphones and speakers like 

, Bluetooth can still deliver impressively clear sound, though you’ll want to connect via WiFi for the best audio experience.

Person lounging outdoors while listening to Soft White Sonos Ace headphones

You may have heard of other terms used to describe high-quality audio, but how do terms like “hi-fi” and “spatial audio” relate to lossless? Let’s take a look.

Because the term “lossless” relates specifically to digital file compression, lossless audio typically describes audio formats that don’t lose any of the original signal in the process of compression. You’d describe an audio coding format such as Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) as “lossless,” but you wouldn’t use the term to describe, say, a set of premium speakers.

, or hi-fi for short, usually describes a full system or setup that’s capable of reproducing audio from the original recording with a high degree of exactness. So, a hi-fi setup would include speakers, an 

, or hi-res audio for short, is related to lossless audio but not exactly the same.

Above, we mentioned that compression can result in a lossy audio file or a lossless audio file. 

But an audio file does not need to be compressed at all

. Uncompressed formats can support even higher bit depths and sampling rates than some lossless audio formats.

The term “hi-res audio” tends to bucket together lossless and uncompressed formats that achieve a certain sound quality — typically superior to that of a CD.

 describes an immersive, three-dimensional listening experience that makes you feel as if sounds are coming from all directions. Spatial audio technologies like 

 add the sense of height to audio playback that more closely reflects how you hear sound in real life. This can be an impressive feature of a 

Lossless audio has become a buzzy topic in recent years, as people have realized that even the best sound systems can’t compensate for lossy streaming quality. The good news is that more and more streaming services are debuting their own lossless formats, and we may be fast-approaching a day when lossless audio compression becomes the norm. To prepare yourself for that eventuality, upgrade to a Sonos 

 that can support lossless audio quality over WiFi.

Parent and child making crafts while listening to a black Move 2

What Is Lossless Audio — And How To Stream It at Home

They say actions speak louder than words, but that’s cold comfort when you’re straining to hear the dialogue on your favorite TV show. Smart, snappy, and (most of all) intelligible dialogue is the backbone of the best films and shows, but the wrong audio setup can make it hard to parse key conversations between characters.

There are a number of ways to tackle this issue, from tweaking your TV’s audio settings to investing in a proper home theater system. We’ve put together a guide with five steps toward improving and upgrading your TV’s sound, so that you’ll never have to settle for subtitles again.

1. Check the audio settings on your streaming service

If the dialogue in your streamed film or TV show sounds muffled, start by checking the audio settings on your streaming service. Though most streaming services can automatically detect and adjust to the audio capabilities of your device, this doesn’t always work as intended.

For example, many Netflix titles support streaming in 

. But you can’t stream surround sound audio through just any old device — you’ll need a system that supports it, too. Netflix isn’t always great at realizing this, and it may default to 5.1 surround sound even when it doesn’t detect an appropriate 5.1 system. This mismatch may result in subpar sound, so always be sure to check that the audio settings on your streaming service match your setup’s capabilities.

Downmixing is usually a fairly precise process, but it can sometimes result in dialogue that sounds a bit garbled or undermixed. As such, it’s best to make sure that your streaming service’s audio settings match your device’s capabilities. The built-in speakers on your laptop or TV may only support stereo output, so chances are you’ll have to upgrade to a 

 before you can enjoy high-quality streamed audio.

Tip: Look for speech-enhanced versions of your favorite titles

Even if there’s nothing technically wrong with your audio levels, you may want to give the dialogue a bit of extra boost. Maybe you’re watching an action movie with massive explosions and hushed dialogue, or maybe your ears are battling with heavy accents.

If so, we have good news: some services, like Amazon Prime, offer speech-enhanced versions of certain content titles. Check to see if there’s one for your favorite show before streaming.

If everything looks good with the audio settings on your streaming service, your next stop should be the settings menu on your TV. This is true even if you aren’t using your TV’s built-in speakers, as the audio output settings on your TV can also be responsible for gumming up the sounds emanating from your home theater setup.

When it comes to muddy and unintelligible dialogue, the lowest frequencies are often the biggest offenders. The same bass frequencies that add a deep, rich oomph to explosions and orchestral soundtracks can make it nearly impossible to decipher what someone is saying. That’s because most human speech actually falls in the midrange of frequencies, and these can be drowned out if the bass is overemphasized.

So, it may well be that the bass frequencies on your TV are set too high. But instead of fine-tuning the individual frequencies, you might want to first try out some different preset audio modes to see if one solves the issue. Many TVs come with audio modes that specifically emphasize the human voice. Look for a setting labeled “Speech” or “Dialogue”; if you can’t find one, try out other presets that increase the midrange frequencies in your TV’s audio.

Some TVs even offer a feature called dynamic range compression, which essentially levels out sound differences so that quiet sounds are louder and louder sounds are quieter. This can make dialogue louder and more intelligible without actually having to turn the volume up on your TV. Sure, a dramatic cymbal crash or explosion may not have the same chest-rumbling effect, but at least you’ll be able to follow along (and avoid complaints from your neighbors).

Family watching TV with white Beam, Sub Mini, and Era 100 pair

Your TV’s speakers can only take you so far. These built-in speakers tend to be quite small and capable of handling only a limited range of frequencies. If your goal is audio with the highest degree of clarity and detail, consider adding a soundbar.

Even from a position directly beneath your TV, a 

 can create multidimensional audio that immerses you in sound as if it’s coming from all directions. Some premium soundbars, like Sonos Arc, feature Dolby Atmos technology that fires sound in all directions, bringing more clarity to dialogue even if it’s merely a whisper.

Short of adding actual surround sound speakers to your 

, a soundbar is the best way to achieve cinematic sound at home. It’s also a great option if you’re limited on space and prefer a setup without the need for hard wiring, as many soundbars are designed to fit right in whether they’re placed atop furniture or mounted on the wall.

If you’re ready to permanently stomp out the problem of unintelligible audio — and add dramatic clarity to every other part of your audio experience — a multi-speaker setup is the logical next step. A soundbar serves as a perfect basis for this type of setup. From there, you can add a pair of rear speakers and a 

, as its name implies, describes an audio setup that immerses you in sound from multiple angles — left, right, front, back, and above. A surround sound system with Dolby Atmos expands this immersive experience even further, firing sounds skyward so that they reflect off the ceiling and come raining down from above. You can achieve a realistic, spatial audio experience with just a soundbar, but nothing beats a 

Man watching TV with a black Arc and Sonos Ace headphones

Of course, investing in an entire home theater system may not be in the cards. Or perhaps you live in a place with neighbors or roommates who won’t take kindly to a full surround sound system. If you’re watching alone, there’s no faster route to crisp, clear dialogue than a pair of good headphones.

This is true even if you do have an existing home theater setup. For example, with 

, you can swap the TV audio from your Sonos soundbar to your headphones for a private surround sound experience. So, if you’ve exhausted your patience with audio settings menus or simply can’t wait to dive into the latest episode of your favorite show, wirelessly connect your headphones and let the dialogue flow.

Isn’t it nice to know you’re not alone? Trouble understanding TV dialogue is a common complaint, and it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re hard of hearing. Every Sonos product is built to achieve stunningly clear audio, and dialogue is no exception. We turned to Oscar-winning sound engineers to help tune our 

, so that even the slightest whisper rings with clarity. And with added features like 

 available in the Sonos app, you’ll never reach for the subtitles button again.

Black Beam placed under a television; black Sub placed on the floor

How to Hear Dialogue Better When Watching TV Shows and Movies

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Create a cinematic home theater with Sonos Era 100

What Is a Speaker Amplifier (And Do You Need One)?

Beginner's Guide to Audio File Types (And Which to Use)

What Is Lossless Audio — And How To Stream It at Home

How to Hear Dialogue Better When Watching TV Shows and Movies

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What Is a Speaker Amplifier (And Do You Need One)?

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What Is Lossless Audio — And How To Stream It at Home

How to Hear Dialogue Better When Watching TV Shows and Movies

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Beginner's Guide to Audio File Types (And Which to Use)