Thank you for your responses.
I first bought the Rotel. Unfortunately, the FM reception with the Rotel was poor, even with a new antenna, and shockingly so compared to the mass-market Sony receiver it replaced. I am apparently located in an area where FM reception is difficult. I returned the Rotel after about 10 days of experimentation (the dealer gave me no problem), and got a Magnum Dynalab MD 208. (Much more expensive; the budget went out the window.)
So far, so good. The MD 208's FM reception is adequate (and, oddly, it makes no difference whether I use a $100 indoor antenna or a piece of wire). The sound quality is, so far, only about equal to that of the Rotel -- but it is, of course, a huge improvement over the Sony, and I have hopes that, with the long break-in period the MD 208 reportedly requires, the audio experience will significantly improve. And the spousal acceptance factor is high -- a very nice looking unit, somewhat reminiscent of McIntosh.
As to why a receiver and not separates, there are several reasons. I dislike cables, clutter, etc. My wife abhors cables. I don't want to worry about synergy between separate components if I don't have to. I like the look of the MD 208. Further, the MD 208's has been well-reviewed ("a no-compromise high-end design that I could easily live with over the long haul." Stereophile Magazine, http://stereophile.com/integratedamps/329/index2.html), so I may not be missing much by not getting separates.
All that having been said, I liked the sound of the Krell integrated amp, and would very likely have bought one together with a tuner of some sort, if not for the MD 208. And it's possible that I'll become an audio junkie (like you?) and make a change to separates anyway, in search of the audio Grail.
