# The 15 Best HiFi Amplifiers of All Time

> From vintage tube monoblocks to razor-precise Class-D and Class-A designs, this lineup spans decades of amplifier engineering, valve warmth beside clinical solid-state power. Which one earns a spot in your listening room?

*By YPB Team · Published August 25, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-15-best-hifi-amplifiers-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **McIntosh MC275** — score 1000/1000
   The legendary tube power amplifier introduced in 1961 whose blue-meter styling and warm sound made it a benchmark for high-end audio.
2. **Pass Labs XA25** — score 682/1000
   A Class-A stereo power amplifier designed by Nelson Pass, praised for delivering high-end amp performance at a relatively accessible price.
3. **Naim Uniti Nova** — score 551/1000
   A British all-in-one streaming integrated amplifier known for its punchy, rhythmic sound and extensive digital connectivity.
4. **NAD 3020** — score 466/1000
   The 1978 budget integrated amplifier whose surprising power and musicality made it one of the best-selling and most influential hi-fi amps ever.
5. **Audio Note Ongaku** — score 466/1000
   A hand-built, extremely expensive single-ended triode integrated amplifier from 1988 that became a cult icon of the ultra-high-end.
6. **Cary Audio CAD-805** — score 363/1000
   The single-ended triode power amplifier credited with putting SET amplification on the map for American audiophiles.
7. **Benchmark AHB2** — score 363/1000
   An ultra-low-distortion power amplifier built with THX AAA technology, popular with both audiophiles and studio engineers.
8. **Krell KSA-100** — score 363/1000
   The 1981 solid-state power amplifier that launched Krell and helped define the American high-end super-amp category.
9. **Mark Levinson ML-2** — score 363/1000
   A monoblock class-A power amplifier from the late 1970s revered as one of the founding statement pieces of high-end audio.
10. **McIntosh MA9000** — score 363/1000
   McIntosh's flagship integrated amplifier, delivering 300 watts per channel behind the brand's signature blue output meters.
11. **Luxman L-590AXII** — score 363/1000
   A reference-class Japanese integrated amplifier prized for its switchable Class-A operation and refined, musical sound.
12. **Marantz Model 30** — score 363/1000
   A modern integrated amplifier from Marantz's Japanese Sound Masters lab, blending vintage design cues with current engineering.
13. **Sugden A21** — score 363/1000
   A minimalist British Class-A integrated amplifier in continuous production since the 1960s, loved for its pure, warm sound.
14. **Accuphase E-380** — score 233/1000
   A Japanese reference integrated amplifier known for its meticulous build quality and Accuphase's signature analog VU meters.
15. **Devialet Expert 220 Pro** — score 233/1000
   A compact French integrated amplifier using ADH hybrid amplification to pair Class-A warmth with Class-D efficiency.

Tags: music, audio, audiophile, hifi, amplifier