Are integrated amps technically better than separates?

Great info. Sounds like the key with separates is high quality interconnects. 

aberyclark

Absolutely.  Happy Listening!

I've used separates for years, right down to phono preamps and MC step up transformers.

I sold hi-end gear during college to pay the bills working at a local tweak shop. As you might imagine, I received professional training from the different reps who called on us.

The pitch for separates of course was flexibility to customize the sound and to reduce the possibility of signal "smear" from everything being on the same chassis with the resulting improvement in sound.

At the end of the day, practical matters of available space, budget, etc come into play.

Buy what you can afford and still manage to enjoy it!

You know, if you think about it, a well designed integrated amp will have a perfectly matched preamp to the internal power amp, taking the guess work out of matching separates. In addition if the preamp section is passive so it will take up less space in a single cabinet thus giving more room for the power amp section and its large power supply.
Here is one disadvantage of an integrated amp that I can think of:One, you can't try different combinations of separate preamps or power amps (tube or solid state) unless the integrated amp has pre-ins or pre-outs
But an integrated is a space-saver if this is important to your set-up and I have heard some very good sounding units.