Q: I recently bought a pair of the top-of-the-line LSiM707 tower speakers. I have a Sony STR-DE845 receiver. Will it be enough for these speakers? If not, what receiver or amplifier do you recommend for under $1,000?

A: Your Sony is not a good match. The power specifications are not impressive. It is considered an entry-level model and is out of its league working with a pair of LSiM707s. You need to upgrade to do the speakers justice.

My usual recommendations, the Outlaw Audio RR2160 receiver ($899) and Cambridge Audio CXA61 integrated amplifier ($999) both would work well. See them at cambridgeaudio.com.

I have a new recommendation that will sound incredible and add some exotic flair to your system. But first, let me explain the difference between an integrated amplifier, a receiver and separate components.

An integrated amplifier combines a preamplifier (selects sources and adjusts volume) with a power amplifier (powers the speakers) in a single chassis. A receiver combines an integrated amplifier with a tuner for listening to the radio, again on a single chassis. These are the most popular amplification products because of the convenience of a single chassis and lower cost compared with separate components.

With separates you use two components, a basic amplifier combined with a preamplifier. The amplifier powers the speakers and the preamplifier changes the volume and selects between different sources. Separates provide the very highest performance and flexibility, and once you have experienced the difference, it is unlikely you will ever go back.

They can be very expensive, but I recently came across a magical combo that is affordable and has sound quality that is out of this world. The $399 Emotiva BasX A-300 basic amplifier (emotiva.com) produces a very potent 150 watts per channel. The sound is clean, effortless and musical, and it would match well with even some of the most power-hungry speakers on the market.

The Bellari PA555 vacuum tube preamplifier (musichallaudio.com) is built on a small chassis and uses a single vacuum tube. It has the warm, clean, detailed and natural sound quality associated with more expensive tube components. The PA555 is $275, which is a bargain price for any preamplifier, let alone a vacuum tube model, which usually start over $1,000.

The PA555 has four inputs, three in the back and one miniplug input on the front. Connect a turntable with a phono preamplifier, a disc player and Bluetooth receiver to it, then connect the PA555 to the inputs on the A-300 amplifier. Use speaker wire to connect the A-300 to your speakers, and you have a full-featured system with tons of power. The PA555/A-300 combo comes to $674. I don't think the performance or sound can be beat without spending much more.

Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get recommendations and read past columns at soundadvicenews.com.