Hi - I am also contemplating the same question, and heard both amps in a high quality demo.
The integrated was making amazingly good music, and sounded more powerful than its nominal 80w.
The Phi 200 amp sounded clearly superior sonically (more oomph, clarity, definition, control, ...), it's probably the best amp I have heard in combining musicality of tube amps and clarity/control usually reserved to good solid state amps. The funny thing though is that this still left a bit unsure, I was not 100% clear if I was getting more emotion and pleasure through the better amp. Go figure!
Associated speakers were the new Magico S1.
One thing is for sure: both amps sounded great, and VAC really deserves more recognition for its products.
[I also could hear in comparison the ARC REF 75 and 150, and stopped after only a few minutes to go back to the VACs. Way more musical and "real sounding" to my ears.]
Fplanner2000, can you please clarify what you mean by better components and no IC with the integrated?
Thank you.
