obviously, merely being made by the same maufacturer won't cause the integrated and receiver to sound identical (any more than a lexus will perform like a scion). assuming the integrated and amp have identical power supplies, transformers and other guts, they should sound very close. i've owned both the nad 3020 integrated and its receiver version, the 7020 and couldn't hear any difference; likewise a yamaha rx-1000u receiver and supposedly identically-built cx integrated. however, as stated above, in the usual case receiver manufacturers are forced to make cost or design compromises to jam extra stuff into the box; likewise the extra circuitry and functions can compromise sound quality. none of which means that an integrated will always outperform a well-designed receiver.
Reciver/Integrated same sound?
Will an integrated amplifier and receiver made by the same company sound identical to each other in two-channel stereo listening?
I know lots of brands like Cambridge, Arcam, Rotel, etc. make receivers and integrateds. I've never compared two directly, what's been your experience?
I know lots of brands like Cambridge, Arcam, Rotel, etc. make receivers and integrateds. I've never compared two directly, what's been your experience?