Integrated amp: Can it perform equal to separates?

My first reaction as a previous Pre3 owner is to say keep it. Unless you're moving without shipping any goods it won't ad much to the move. I have regretted parting with mine many times. It was used with quite a few amps, many of the class D, with excellent results.
Of course now I am using an integrated amp for ease, but really not that much simpler than when I had the Pre3 running.
The amp the Pre3 replaced was the Bel Canto eVo2i which I would recommend with one caveat. Make sure BC still supports it. In your price range though, I'd recommend a used Unison Unico SE. Plenty of power and in your price range. Good luck, a shame you're leaving the islands.

TO Timrhu, Thank you for your response. I agree with you, BC PRe3 is the best pre-amp I have ever owned. It really would not cost much much to ship to California. I just would like to have less boxes; I downsized before, but did not get the same quality of sound larger system I sold. The main shipping expense will be the Adagios which weigh 90 lbs each and are big. I bought them used from a guy who lived in Wisconsin and it cost $525.00 to ship to Honolulu. The turntable should be easy to sell and my phono pre-amp. Are the BC eVo2i and Unison Unico SE integrated amps. I think the Unison is. I really want to get a better amp than the Red Dragon mono blocks, and just have one box. They are good amps, but again too many boxes.

******* The islands are great, but for me they got old very fast. It is great to see college age ladies walking down the street in bikinis, but I love Southern California.

The Pre3 had that elusive property of the straight wire with gain IMO, absolute neutrality. The class D amp that worked best with it for me was the Bel Canto Ref500S. I had the stereo version, not the mono blocs. I also had a pair of mono blocs which used the same modules your Red Dragon amps use but the Bel Canto bested them in my system.
Also tried using my Resolution Audio cdp without the Pre3. The RA has a very good analog volume control but I preferred the sound with the Pre3 in place.

Timrhu, I considered the REF 500S and the REF 500 mono blocks, but decided on the Red Dragon blocks. The BC 300S stereo amp comes up occasionally for sale on AG. I am just curious if the BC integrated 300i,(there were two versions: one has a toslink, the other USB input) is close in performance to PRe3 pre-amp and REF 500S combo. They came out approx the same time give and take a year. The 300i is 150RMS and got very good reviews. There are always some tradeoffs in these these items.

The Bel Canto S300i is a good integrated, but the PRe3 and REF500S would be a substantial step up. If you're getting out of analogue, then you could definitely consider getting rid of the PRe3 and use a Bel Canto DAC directly into an amp like the REF500S. You'll improve your digital front end and with 2 half sized components (the DAC and amp), it will take up no more room than one full sized component.

Disclosure: we are a Bel Canto dealer