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

People that think that you can buy separates for the same price as an integrated are confused. That's the point of an integrated. Mcpody, there are plenty of 1500 dollar integrateds that are fantastic, and I'll bet atleast one in this world can best the combo you speak of.

The other thing that irritates me is when peopple say integrateds don't have enough power. Krell 400XI 200 wpc. Musical Fidelity KW550 630 wpc. Seems like plenty of power to me. They are out there. You are NOT limited by power going with an integrated.

If you go SS - then the PS Audio integrated GCC series sound incredible - once broken in. Eventually get it modded by Underwood (or just buy it new and modded from them) and it will be an amazing piece of gear - for solid state that is.

03-27-07: Pawlowski6132

"Uraniumcommittee; I know what you mean about integrateds being low in power (so, cheaper) and thus not as good as separates. Do you mean something like these?"

No, I mean typical low-cost to medium-cost integrated amps.

"A smart buyer can find high quality separates on Audiogon that when mated together, can outperform any integrated at the same price point. For example, find a Forte 4A amplifier for $600-$700 and a Modulus preamp at $800. There is not a $1,500 integrated on the market that can match this sound."

Yes of course a second hand Pre/Power can outperform a new integrated at the same price. How about against a second hand integrated. I have had 3 top rank integrated amps in my system and they were outstanding, in different ways. They are/were a Lavardin IT, Viva Solista and Karan K180. All outperformed Pre/Power combinations at a much higher price level, that I havbe heard. It is true that not every manufacturer makes the same effort on there integrated amps, but most would agree that the Lavardin IT is the pick of that companies range.
I certainly won't be going back to a Pre/Power combination. I do accept that for most manufacturers, there top, statement amp, tends to be a Pre and Monoblocks, but you can get very close to that with a well sorted integrated, that are increasingly appearing on the market.