Integrated Amps: How Good?

Darn good. Check out the soundstage.com review of the 383...

There are quite a few integrates that earn Stereophile's highest rating (class A) and the highest rating in other publications. The YBA Integre DT is another good one.

Sugar, but does a Stereophile Class A int. equals a Class A pre/pro combo?
And would you please give me some names for int. amp? I have Audio Physic Virgos and Sony SCD 777.
Thanks.

The high-end integrateds are excellent products, and by eliminating a set of interconnect cables -- with all of the accompanying potential for RFI problems and other undesirable sonic issues -- they are often the equal of many pre/power combinations. However, life is never that perfect. Some integrateds -- such as the Rowland Concentra which I once owned (and loved) and the 383 (see the STEREOPHILE review) -- do not like to see low impedance speaker loads, such as anything that conisistently strays too far below 4 ohms. The Krell 500i which is basically a 250p preamp and a 250 amp on the same chassis may not have that problem, since the 250a will handle a 2 ohm load. Coda also makes an integrated which they claim has sufficient current to interface effectively with low impedance speakers. Thus, for the most part, the answer to your question depends considerably upon how loud you like your music; and what speakers you will be driving with an integrated.

Although many high end integrateds are quite good, there are problems having amp power supply inside same unit as preamp, emf distortions etc. Musical Fidelity M3 integrated
has seperate case for power supply to overcome this, so it is actually similar to pre/power amp seperates. There is a savings with one less IC and one less power cord with integrateds.

I doubt if Krell, Rowland, Plinius, Mark Levison are going to say their intgrateds are as good as their seperates.....but probably cost half as much for slightly less perfect sound. To summarize integrateds are best value,
but hard to argue they have equal sound to same companies seperates.