Is there a clear definition of what "Integrated" means?


Driver / input / output stages

Phono stages

Tone controls, source selections, balancers

 

Amps can have all or just some of these.

Is there one thing that must be included to be called an integrated?

 

clustrocasual

Haven’t seen the word resistance yet. Cleaning up the signal so a constant load is presented to the power amp section - allowing it to run in optimal parameters - I thought was the point of a preamp. The input can have varying voltage and resistance, but the power amp doesn’t see any of that. 
 

This is a tricky concept since we always talk about the voltage of the source but rarely the resistance.  

I've always viewed Integrated amps as essentially the predecessors to receivers, because we used to use external tuners.  I think the inclusion of a pre-amplification stage as a qualifier is debatable as a pre-amplifier typically came just before the power amplifier and did not necessarily include more than one input channel, but in the late 70's we started to see many more pre-amplifiers that served as our connectivity as an integrated amplifier would, sans the main amplification stage.

 

My definition of an Integrated amp is a power amplifier that allows for switchable connectivity to more than one input.

I had no idea such a simple concept (a volume knob and input selector) could be made into something so convoluted. 

@macg19 ....Anytime there's a function added that went beyond a power+volume switch, the complexitie$ begin to toll....

"Integrated"....to self, is what I strive for when I'm or I've a bit more than average looped together.....

...and does what I want to occur without burning Something.... ;)

Integrated as the End Product. 👍

No there isn't.

It needs inputs. If there are more than one, it needs an input selector.

It needs a volume control (not necessarily a physical one, one on a wireless smartphone app is an alternative.)

It needs an amplifier with speaker terminals

All the rest: headphone amp and plug socket, DAC, digital inputs, preamplifier gain section, controls for bass, treble and balance, selectors for different speaker pairs, subwoofer outputs, phono preamp, tape input and output, streamer boards, wireless transmitters to wireslee speakers, Bluetooth are all optional.