A personal computer or PC amplifier allows a computer to play audio through larger sets of speakers and to improve the sound quality of such playback. While most computer speakers include an amplifier or amp, the quality of this is usually rather poor, and potentially hinders the performance of the speakers. Use of a PC amplifier allows the sound signal sent by a computer to be of higher quality. Through the use of an internal amp, other sets of speakers can also be used with such a computer, including bookshelf and tower speakers often used in a home theater or music room.
Amplifiers are devices that increase the audio signal sent by another device to make it audible and allow speakers to effectively play the signal. Most computers that use small, desktop speakers do not have an amp, and instead use small amplifiers within the speakers. A PC amplifier is a device that can be installed into a computer, much like other internal components, and provides greater sound amplification for audio playback. These devices include connectors for speakers other than those typically used by desktop computers.
This is important for anyone who wants to play music or audio from a computer through speakers that do not have the standard connectors used on desktop speakers. Large speakers, such as those used in home theaters, typically connect to an amplifier, including a PC amplifier, through either exposed wires or special connectors. These can be connected to a PC amplifier through pegs that are often located on the back of the amp. Someone can then use a computer with an appropriate amp and speakers to play music or other forms of audio with much greater volume and clarity than desktop speakers can provide.
One of the simplest types of PC amplifier is a card that can fit into a slot on the back of a computer tower, much like a video or audio card. This allows speakers to be connected to posts on the card which fit out of the back of the computer, though manual adjustments can be difficult to make. There are also PC amplifier devices that install on the front of a computer tower, allowing someone to easily adjust volume levels through a knob on the amp’s faceplate. These devices usually connect to speaker wires within the computer tower itself, and can include a back plate that allows those wires to be fed into the back of the tower.