Dumb question......why do you need a preamp?

A good hybrid integrated amp can have a nice active tube line stage. Mine happens to have one employing a nice separate power supply and tranny for the preamp section. Very little sacrifice and in some cases none! It depends on the design of the integrated amp and the use of short signal paths.

Yes, monoblock amps can indeed have a sonic advantage. Not simply because you have a separate chassis, rather that plus the design. Some stereo amps can sound as good or better than monoblocks depending on the design. No absolutes, but rather case by case…..

With the advent of GAN and chip amplifiers one can certainly fit a good active, tube line stage in a nice integrated complete with extra shielding! I can see Ralph of Atma-Sphere building a great sounding integrated amp with an active tube linestage and his Class D Gan output in one larger chassis. I am sure it would compete with many expensive separates. Will we see that soon Ralph? 🤓

I have been a huge preamp user/buyer/seller over the years. I love a great tube preamp having owned at least 15 or so over the years. I have also built several very good tube preamps over the years. Today’s hybrid integrated amps are so good that I do not think sound quality is an issue anymore. The last two integrated amps I have owned keep pace with separates priced up to $12,000 - $15,000. In addition, you save the cost of one set of ICs and a power cord. Also, the short signal paths of a rightly constructed integrated coupled with eliminating the cable and connectors of separates is a potential sound quality enhancer!

I now own a John Tucker/eXemplar Audio made hybrid integrated with a tube preamp section. He included some nice upgrades (parts quality) I wanted and the result is wonderful. My previous Circle Labs A200 was also a hybrid design with tube front end that sounded very good.

So a preamp is certainly not a must if most concerned with sound quality. We have many good choices in integrated amps today!

For me the preamp was always the “heart” of a great system in the past. However if not into vinyl, than in today’s systems the front end dac/server combo can now play that role. I have found my dac is now the heart of my system.

Another thought on design and options for sonic purity. My integrated only has one input direct wired to the tube stage. Bypassed the selector circuit as I only need one input for my dac. This is another step that can deliver sonic benefits. Again, for today’s digital only systems not requiring multi-inputs or phono. Ralph that would be a nice option for the digital purist. One last idea. Please no more fuses. Simply have the on/off switch be a magnetically controlled circuit breaker of high quality. Another nice gain in sonic performance.

All gear has compromises including separates. I think making an assumption that separates always sound better is flawed today. When comparing separates to integrated amps today the sound quality differences will come down to design and execution, not the number of rectangular boxes. Huge power supplies with multiple chokes, big iron and coke can sized caps all in a separate chassis is no longer the only way to build a robust power supply for a preamp. Plenty of wonderful sounding tube preamps with low part counts and brilliantly designed circuits. Circuits with very short signal paths and low noise. Backert Labs comes to mind as one example.

So one can certainly find high quality preamp sections in an integrated amp. They can be found presently and one just needs to do due diligence when shopping. Also, there are some real sonic benefits to eliminating long ICs and connectors with a well designed Int amp. These shorter signal paths do have potential sonic benefits that offset some of the advantages that separates offer. Many integrated amps out there utilizing SOTA attenuation beyond an Alps pot 🙂.

Well thought out design including internal shielding and chassis vibration control can also help mitigate the advantages of separates. Simplicity does bring the opportunity for sonic gains.

Over the years I have heard integrated amps that are sonically superior to separates costing much more. I have also heard separates outperforming more  costly integrated amps. It comes down to the design implementation of the pieces in question, not simply the chassis count. Also, we listen to complete systems and the synergistic impact of the Int amp or separates also plays a role. It seems to me there are many considerations.