user poll on seperates vs integrated

There’s a lot more to invest in with separates, 1) cables 2) power cords 3) space, the trade offs considering the current state of high end components might be minimal. I’ve also talked to some very knowledgeable people about the benefits of mono blocks….very little if any according to them. Not trying to stir anything up but some things to consider. Myself, I have separates, and one amplifier, not really by design but collecting and upgrading my system over the years. Separate components do give you the ability to do that, and that might be worth it. 

It would be interesting to see a "shoot out" of integrated vs separates in, say, the $10k-$15k price range.  This would need to take into consideration the TOTAL cost of ownership including appropriate cabling, etc.  The additional cost of cabling could be an additional $1k-$3k, so it IS a factor in the total investment.

That being said, all things being (roughly) equal, the integrated has clear advantages in the bang-for-the-buck category.  From a manufacturer's perspective, there are real costs that effect the ultimate sales price that have to be factored in.

Comparing ONE component vs TWO, here are some considerations: (In the case of mono amps, substitute THREE in place of TWO)

2 chassis

2 faceplates

2 on/off switches

2 sets of service literature

2 sets of packing materials

2 shipping cartons

2 items to warehouse/store

2 boxes to ship and handle

2 sets of promotional materials.  Even if not in print, still needs to be developed separately

Etc.

I have separates.  The justification is mostly intangible. 

There is no comparison… separates are better. 
if price is an issue take a look at Parrasound.  Great value there 

I would say those claiming cheap separates (Parasound) are better than Integrated by Circle Labs, Norma Audio, Simaudio, Soulnote…are simply wrong. I will put a Norma IA-140 against any lower end separates system. 

For many years I enjoyed separate preamp and stereo amps (VAC and Ayre mostly) that provided the power (separate power supplies?) for the speakers I was using at the time.  A little over a year ago I moved to a Gryphon Diablo 300 with its DAC module.  The Gryphon easily provides the power for my Rockport speakers and I was able to retire multiple sets of interconnects and power cables.  The main issue IMO with some integrated amplifiers is they do not have a robust power supply to drive hi end speakers.  There are many excellent high end integrateds being produced today but the goal is to obtain one at a cost that matches one's budget and thoughtfully matches the load it will be expected to drive.