Separates vs. Integrated

SDT99, it's more of a practical issue than anything else. There's no physical or engineering reason why someone couldn't build a 500 watt per channel tube integrated amp with phono preamps and enough power supplies to put a smile on Twl's face, but it would end up being the size of a Sub Zero. Is it marketing or is it common sense?

Separate components will always offer the potential of superior sound, but as a practical matter the better integrated amps give up little if any to comparably priced separates.

The main disadvantage of separates is the interconnects required to link them up. Interconnects can only degrade the music signal and even the most expensive and presumably best performaning interconnects can only corrupt the signal least. The elimination of these signal degraders is a big advantage for integrated components. Their elimination also represents a large financial savings too.

Another advantage of integrated is that they cut down on the number of variables in a system. The importance of system synergy is well known and integrated components have a high degree of synergy built in.

In the past few years Audio Research, YBA, JRDG, Conrad-Johnson, BAT, EAR, Pathos, Mark Levinson, Red Rose, Musical Fidelity, Krell, Manley, VAC, Cary, Mesa-Boogie, Chord, McIntosh, Accuphase, Ayre and Tenor have all released integrated amplifiers. While they may not be appropriate for everybody, they certainly are having an positive impact on high end audio.