Integrateds: Why do they all SUCK?

Integrated amps usually lack the sophisticated preamp circuitry  of a good separate preamp.  That makes a huge difference.  A really good preamp brings a world of sonic improvement to a system.  Some high-priced integrateds, like the Viva Solista, actually do contain high-end preamp circuitry, which is one of the reasons it sounds as good as it does.  

Not to belabor the preamp point, but many listeners have no idea what upgrading the preamp does for a system. When I was in my Naim phase, I remember thinking I needed a better amplifier, but upgrading to the next level of preamp brought the power and finesse to the system that I mistakenly thought were attributable to the amplifier. Until you actually experience what a good preamp can do, it's hard to allocate a lot of money towards a bunch of inputs and a volume control.  And that's all cheap preamps are - but good preamps do much more.  And you pay for it.