Ask S&V

Q After a lull of many years, I’m now in the market for a new audio system and plan to buy high-quality tower speakers and a good amplifier. Here’s my question: How do I deliver an audio signal to passive speakers using just an amp and no preamp or receiver? I’ve become accustomed to the convenience of music-streaming apps like Pandora and don’t want my new system to be unnecessarily complicated. —Gary Barnett / via e-mail

A You chose a good time to get back into audio given your desire for simplicity and convenience. There’s a new crop of network-capable integrated amplifiers that streamline the music-listening experience by providing built-in wired or wireless networking capability. In most cases, you just connect speakers, link the amplifier to your home’s Wi-Fi network, and then use a custom iOS or Android app for control and setup. Many such amps provide integrated support for services like Tidal and Spotify. A number also support AirPlay and/or Chromecast built-in for direct audio streaming from compatible iOS or Android apps.

We recently reviewed one such integrated amp, the Cary Audio AiOS, a $2,995 All-In-One System with a 2 x 75-watt Class-A/B amplifier. Similar models are available from a range of companies including NAD, Naim Audio, Auralic, Simaudio, Arcam, and Hegel. Many of these are priced in the $2,000-to-$4,000 range. However, by combining a streamer, high-performance DAC, and amplifier in a single package, they ultimately prove to be a good value.