In a home entertainment center, your amplifier acts as the heart and the brains of your system. The amp powers all your speakers and also usually controls all your electronics: CD player, television, DVD player, turntable, and so on. Many individuals build elaborate home entertainment centers around a cheap amp. When shopping for a cheap amp for today's home entertainment center, you're going to want a certain set of minimums. Your amp should be sufficiently powered--the higher the wattage it has, the more powerful a sound it will produce. Your amp should also have connections for speakers and a subwoofer. If you plan on watching DVDs, you'll want to make sure that the amp supports 5.1 channels of sound and has a digital connection. You should make sure that your amp has connections for all the electronics that you own. Any amp should have the following standard connections--a CD player, a DVD player, a video connector (usually for the television), and a radio tuner. More advanced amps may also have connectors for a Mini-Disc player, a video game system, a turntable, or multiple video connections. Used amplifiers might be a good way to pick up a cheap amp. Make sure that your used amp is in working condition and has been tested with several different components. It's important to remember that if you want to use your amp to experience Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 surround sound, the amp needs to have an optical or coaxial digital in. The Dolby and DTS logos are usually stamped on the front of compatible amplifiers.
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