What sounds best integrated or separates?

This is a very tricky question. It is all system dependant. What sounds better, a two box preamp and amp, or the four box ASR 'integrated' amp? Many preamps themselves are integrated, having built in phono stages and/or power supplies. How far seperate do you wish to go? The 6 box Aesthetix Callisto/Io with dual supplies? Basically a 6 box full function preamp.
Monoblock amps? Monoblocks with seperate outboard power supplies/batteries? You could have 10 boxes just for a preamp and amp for crying out loud.

It's all relative. 99.99% of us here have integrated to some extent.

John

Well fortunately for you, there is no deadline to make a decision. Take your time, search the archives, and have fun. The journey is the adventure.

04-01-07: Pawlowski6132
I believe we should admit that, theoretically, integrateds should sound better than separates. Reality CAN be very different though.

When evaluating theoretically, one has to look at all aspects. You list the positive attibutes of the integrated amp earlier, shorter circuit paths, fewer cables. However, you neglect to mention the positive attributes of seperates like power supply isolation and size. Both designs, integrated and seperates, have their own plus' and minus'.
You have to look at all the parameters when judging the best theoretically.

The practicality of it is that a lot of equipment sounds better with a larger, more stable power supply. Seperates can give you a larger power supply, and better ways to isolate them. That's why many preamps have seperate power supplies, to isolate the EMF from the smaller, line level signals.

Yes, shorter signal paths and lower costs are positive attributes for the integrated amps. However, seperates also have their positive attributes, namely larger power supplies and isolation techniques.

John

No, I suppose they don't HAVE to have a larger power supply. Generally they do though. Also, it not just the size of the power supply, it's the ability to have multiple power supplies. Just as having more dedicated lines gives your components better isolation from intrinsic generated noise, so will seperate power supplies better isolate the noise from other internal stages.

Did you ever read about one unit having 12 isolated power supplies? Sometimes they'll do this in a high end DAC for example. The more you can seperate/isolate power supplies, from displays, L and R channels, + and - rails, digital and analog, etc, generally the less chance of one area interfering with another.

So no, to enjoy audio you do not need seperates. You don't even need dedicated power lines. However, the further you go, towards isolating components, whether it being adding 6 dedicated lines to your room, and/or going with seperates, the lower the chance you will have of noise from one unit interfering with the performance of another. Of course assuming that you are using interconnects that don't act as antennas. There are enough well made interconnects out there nowadays, that this isn't usually an issue.

Also, I would say that for the same money, and integrated amp and/or cd player is the way to go. For example, I think a $2000 integrated amp has a good chance of sounding better than $2000 for amp AND preamp.

I wouldn't recommend seperates unless you are willing to spend the extra money it will take to capture those last few degrees of isolation/seperation.

John