Maybe I will say a strange idea for the forum, but try to look at this topic from the point of view of your life. We will never find "that very sound", because we listen to different music and our perception of sound changes with age. But if you are interested in searching and experimenting and you can afford it, why deny yourself the pleasure of trying new different components? And when it stops bringing you happiness and you just want to listen to your favorite song, you can change the whole system to one good integrated amplifier and not dance with cables, etc. I also consider integrated amplifiers more of a lifestyle, one beautiful thing looks good on a modest stand or an expensive chest of drawers in a strict interior. But not everyone is interested in this. And there is a compromise option: deal only with the source that you listen to the most, for example, take an integrated preamplifier-amplifier, and select a DAC + streamer separately. For example, I listen to vinyl more, so I use a separate phono preamp, and the DAC, streamer and amplification are all in one integrated amplifier. It seems to me that you need to look at the needs, and not how it sounds, because everything sounds good in its own way in this price segment.
Separates vs Integrated
Hi, my current set up consists of a Coda 07x Pre, Krell 300 XD Duo. I almost exclusively stream with a Lumin U2 mini with S-Booster feeding a PS Audio Direct Stream MKii.
I get drawn into thinking a really well done Integrated could be as good or better, something like the Hegel H600. Logic being the synergy the Hegel should have outweighing the potential debatable benefits of separates. Taking out of the equation my current set up has more flexibility, assuming I would likely keep the Lumin, crazy to think the integrated would match my current set up?