i have had separates and downsized my system with a very stable Chord integrated amp and have never looked back. it depends on budget etc., but for 5k and below there are many integrated amps on the market which can compete sonically with separates...
seperates over integrated. Why?
This is a general question, raised by an experience today.I own a Tube Technology Seer pre, and today turned down one of their integrated amps at $700. I'm running home made triode monoblocks through the preamp with Fi Phy and Ear 834p and the preamp's phonos, and One thing audio Quad ESL57's. All these years of gradually changing gear, and thinking about cables, and all the different bits of gear, just buying an integrated sure sounds good right now. The Tube Technology pre's phono stage is up there with the other 2, only being inferior during exhaustive ABing. So whats the fuss? All those cables degrading the signal with seperates, or "it all in together" integrateds vibrating and cross-talking the signal away? I ASK THIS CONFUSEDLY.