Streaming amps
It’s time to give your stereo speakers a new lease of life by partnering them with a just-add-speakers integrated streaming amplifier, which puts a whole world of music at your fingertips
Words: Becky Roberts Photography: Phil Barker
There’s never been a better time for dragging out that pair of neglected speakers you long ago banished to the corner of a spare room, dusting them off and reviving your love for them. Hear us out. You may well have your music duties covered by an Amazon Echo wireless speaker in your living room or a JBL Bluetooth speaker in your kitchen, but no single-speaker wonder, no matter how wondrous, will compare to the performance of a good stereo speaker system. A true stereo soundfield that’s wide-open and filled with generous detail really is the reserve of a hi-fi speaker-led set-up.
Like the hardy Honda Civic, hi-fi speakers are built to last and often refuse to die (unless their drivers are poked by handsy kiddiewinks); they’ll outlast you if you (and your little ones) let them.
So whether you have floorstanders or bookshelf speakers that are a few years old or as mature as you, it’s not too late to make amends and savour them. Because it’s never been easier or as appealing to transform them into a versatile, well-equipped and streaming-savvy audio system to make your musicplaying dreams come true. Yes, streaming has well and truly arrived in the hi-fi community. And all you need to be a part of it is an integrated streaming amp.
ONE BOX TO RULE THEM ALL
Creating a system around an existing set of speakers needn’t cost the earth, clutter your floor with cables or require the accommodation of multiple boxes, either. It can, of course, if you opt to build a system of separates to cover amplification and music sources. But what if we told you it was as easy as connecting them to one – yes, just the one – does-it-all box?
These days, a relatively modern creation referred to as an ‘integrated streaming amplifier’ can plunge a pair of speakers into a fruitfully furnished set-up that is domestically practical and compact, easily app-controlled from a phone, and first and foremost opens doors to a world of music streaming services (it can also accommodate other audio sources you may have lying around). Essentially it’s a music streamer and both pre and power amplifiers combined, requiring just a pair of speakers to make it sing.