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All those amplifiers in a HT
Audio signals come from a source (CD player, DVD player, VHS player), then go to a processor to have it divided for multichannel output (Dolby Surround, DTS, Dolby Digital). Then go to pre-amplifier to get some corrections and make it a standard level (also may have treble and bass regulated- as well as overall volume level), then go to (power-) amplifiers who produce power (voltage times current), so it can drive a speaker and make a lot of noise.
If the pre-amplifier and the amplifiers are combined (together with a processor and a radio-tuner as well), it's called a receiver. This is the most common solution in a HT. Therefore, if the power-amplifiers are not all inside a receiver, but apart, that's called separates.
In the old days, when multi-channel audio (except stereo) wasn't common (at least not the "coded" form), there already were integrated amplifiers - of course they still exist, there are many audio freaks around - meaning the pre-amp and the power-amp were together, and generally two of them to form an audio stereo combination.
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