Separates vs. Integrated

Separates usually have better power supplies, and can isolate the preamp/amp power supplies from one another.

BTW, here are some positives FOR the integrated, taken from stereophile:

Why is the integrated more economical? It's less expensive to build, having just one chassis and shipping carton compared with (multiple). Each chassis and its carton add greatly to the cost. Current integrated designs get rid of internal phono stages and achieve further savings with a closed design that doesn't interface with other amplifiers or preamplifiers. This eliminates the circuits for a preamplifier output buffer and power-amp input buffer.

There are other savings. Packing a stereo preamplifier and two amplifier channels into one chassis saves space. Hum is reduced because amplifier and preamplifier now share exactly the same ground voltage, so less shielding is required. And an integrated weighs less—when did you last own a basic amplifier that fit on a shelf, or, for that matter, could even be lifted by one person? No more tripping over massive, sharp-finned amplifiers in the dark. Equipment clutter goes down, and the spouse acceptance factor goes up. This "sweet spot" of compact size and affordability keeps the integrated alive.

It's the power handling stupid (in my best Bill Clinton voice!). I agree with Marakanetz above, I've never seen a 300W/ch integrated amp. Most integrated don't seems to be aimed at those who need lotsa power.

For me, I initially switched from a receiver (aka intergrated with tuner) to separates just so I could get more power (150w into 8, 250 into 4), which my speakers sorely needed.

Nowadays I like having my tube monoblocks, which let me run short speaker wires, and long interconnects. I can now place my audio rack in a bass minima - away from my speakers. Sort of nice.

Hi Aroc and all:

Said above by Aroc: "I agree with Marakanetz above, I've never seen a 300W/ch integrated amp. Most integrated don't seems to be aimed at those who need lotsa power."

If 300w Int. amps are not made. What is the primary reason?
Marketing or engineering?

I remain,

Maybe both Clueless. Again, in the past, integrated amps were "entry level", the targeted market not needing that much power. From engineering, the integrated being one box, I would think it to be harder to engineer the big power in a small space.

As the integrated is growing more popular, higher output integrateds are being made, such as the Mac 6900 (200w).

There may be exeptions, but I would suspect if a manufacturer produces an integrated, it will not be sonically supior to their best separates.

(Signed, a happy integrated user,)