Moving to separates

. . . so anyway, OP, after that initial upgrade from the AVR to the B&K pre and the Cary amp, over a period of some time that gave me the luxury(?) of being able to replace my separates one at a time. Which I did. (And if I remember, when I started upgrading my separate components was when I started giving up on HT.) I first replaced the Cary amp with a pair of ARC monoblocks (I was still probably doing HT after I did that) and that was another improvement. Then in ’99 I found a local dealer who let me try out a second hand (2 channel) Cary preamp that he had, and that was one of the most noticeable improvements I ever made. But being it was a two channel preamp and I didn’t feel like buying any more processors, this was when I got completely out of HT.

Since then I have made further upgrades in preamps and amps, all of which have had their attributes, but being able to make those further changes on an incremental basis was another benefit of having separates.

Yes. I added a Rotel 250wpc amp to my system long ago... just blows away those integrated amps. Well worth it. 

I went from a Rotel integrated (RA1572, I think) to separates (see virtual system). The main reason was more control, particularly with phonostage. However, the comparison is not fair, as I replaced a 2K integrated with 15-20K in separates. Do they sound better than a 15-20K integrated? No idea. Accordingly, it is important to compare approaches on equal footing, while typically the change from integrated to separates also entails serious price jump. 

Generally it’s all about cost. A $10k integrated is going to beat a $3k separates. If you are going from a cheap integrated to a mid level separates then you’re on the right track. However, you could also consider a mid or high level integrated as well. Nowadays there are many good integrateds from various companies available for you to choose from. Gryphon, Vitus, Pass Labs, etc. and the list goes on.

Not all watts are created equal, and all certainly don’t sound the same. Most AVRs are sort of a jack of all trades, packed with conveniences, functions, and inputs, with high watt ratings, but not necessarily focused on best audio.

Not all separates are a best effort from the manufacturer, but many are, and typically have the lion’s share of advantages over an AVR. Each separate unit has it’s own power supply, which can be fairly significant, and many tend to use superior parts and design, and often have a more refined sound as a result. The physical separation into it’s own chassis can also help improve sound. Separates also offer more flexibility with matching to another separate amp or preamp...it adds another set of interconnect cables and cost to the equation, but can actually help find tune your preferred sound.

Regardless of the wattage rating, all the separate amps I’ve owned were simply capable of doing a better job of driving the reactive load that a loudspeaker poses, and some speakers pose a tougher load than others. Many cheaper amps in AVRs and receivers are rated by driving a test resistor, not a speaker, and aren’t at their best when pushed hard or challenged by a tough load. (My separate amps have been - Hafler DH500, New York Audio Labs Moscode 300, Discrete Technology LS-2, Mitsubishi DA-A30, Stromberg Carlson ASR-120, Dynaco 70, and now twin modified Dynaco 70s with VTA boards biamped, driven with a Lazarus tube preamp).

An audio buddy of mine recently switched from a big Onkyo Integra receiver to a Linn LK85 with a Schitt Saga 2 preamp, and was astounded at how much better the Linn amp and Schitt preamp sounded. He’s now a convert. Sometimes it’s just synergy between components, but in general I think you’ll find separates to be a step up. If you get a separate amp, you may find that adding a separate preamp down the road sounds better too.