Why the facination with integrated amps?

I have been using integrated amps for years,good ones,I am not missing anything by using them and I am saving something and those in the know,know...I got separates also,the only benefit of separates is you have more to do and as "we" know some people like to tweak more than to listen...just saying.

In one way an interesting topic, since there seems to be so many views and opinions about the pros and cons with integrated amps... 
On the other hand, it is an irrelevant topic, because the real issue here must be if an integrated amp regarding sound quality can match (or even exceed) a separated pre- and poweramp if they have the same price tag...? My answer is YES, they sure can!

If you look at some of the best and most ambitious integrated amps out there, for example the Gryphon Diablo 300, Mark Levinson No 585, Mcintosh MA9000, Musical Fidelity Nuvista 600/800 and even the Marantz PM-10, all of them getting raving reviews in Audiophile magazines, can of course match and be even better than  separated combos in the same price range. The sound quality from an amplifier doesn´t improve just by separating all the units in two or three different boxes, It´s more about the individual components inside and how well those components work together to create the best possible sound. Isolation between different components is important, but short circuitry is important too.

Most separated amps are in a totally different price range and it would not be fair to compare a $10-15k integrated amp with a pre- and poweramp for more than $40-50k... On the other hand, putting everything in one box makes the production cheaper in the first place! Like someone recently mentioned, most people look for most "Bang for the buck", and integrated amps gives them just that and sometimes even moore... I´ve had several integrated amps over a nearly 30-35 year span and all I can say is that I probably had to spend twice the money each time to actually hear any noticeable difference. If I would have chosen separeted units it would have been even moore expensive. 

If you have more money than you can spend, of course go for a separated amp, believe it would produce better sound than any existing integrated amp, and be happy! But IMHO you are only fooling yourself!

I’m surprised no one has mentioned that Mark Levinson just introduced NOT 1 but 2 new Integrated models with full on multi media control..I am sorely tempted to sell a kidney for the $7000.00 entry fee...

There are some great sounding integrated out there. I have gone the route of separates to integrated back to separates. The main reason was when switching/moving up the speaker chain, I needed more power and I wasn’t going to use the integrated as a preamp, that would be foolish.
The last integrated I had was the Hegel top of the line unit which was very good. But when I compared the Hegel separates to the integrated, their integrated was nowhere close being as good. Same with the mcintosh integrated I owned 18 years ago. Both integrateds were very good but were compromised compared to their separates, but the separates were more $. When you look at equipment, the best dac or phono preamp will not be in an integrated, they will always be separate pieces. How many times have you seen that the dac in this integrated is the best dac you can buy? NEVER because they will compromise that piece to fit it in an integrated.

Another trend I see is to pack more functionality in the preamp, for example, my new Mcintosh pre has 2 phono inputs (MM and MC which I use) and a built in dac (which I don’t use, my external PSA dac sounds much better). IMO, making the preamp have more functionality makes more sense than a fully integrated for a number of reasons, 1 being keeping the low powered devices in 1 chassis instead of trying to isolate a huge transformer in the mix. Class D amps aren’t there yet IMO.
Separates also give you the flexibility of changing 1 or the other pieces from SS to tube. I might have an all SS separate setup and if I decide to go with tubes, I can change the preamp to tubes and keep my amps SS or vice versa.

The easy answer is value.  I just went through a complete upgrade of my system and the need to combine surround processing for TV/Movies along with my desire to get great 2 channel performance led me to the integrated amp world.  I couldn't touch the performance I'm getting out of the McIntosh MA8900 integrated without spending probably two to three times as much on quality separates.  That and the fact that this unit integrates (no pun intended) nicely into the surround system made it an easy choice (see my comments under the thread "New McIntosh amp build quality" - have an issue that they are addressing).

Oh, then there's the W.A.F. which was a fairly important consideration.  The Mac doesn't eat tons of space or look like an industrial relic from the 1800's.  

To each their own, but I think in today's audio market, integrated amps have a lot to offer at every budget level.