Zanon, most people believe that (all things being equal) for a host of engineering reasons separates will sound better than comparable integrated components, although of course a high-quality integrated will outperform suppar seperates. The ultimate question, as you infer, is whether the sonic differences are cost-effective. Now, I often see older Arcam and B&K AVRs on Agon and Ebay for as little as $200. These AVRs not gonna sound as good as a system consisting of used Arcam or B&K componenents and an external DAC, but they'll probably sound 80% as good for, say, 25% of the price. Whether the improvement in sound is worth the extra $$ is, of course, the dilemna we all must face.