2. amps-preamps
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price point to move to separates vs integrated

Hi,
I have spoken to different dealers about the most effective way to spend my money on amplification and have gotten different views. (I know opinions are like elbows, everyone has one, or two...).

One fellow said something along the lines of: as soon as you can afford low end separates you should go that route over a more expensive integrated due to the interactions in the same chassis.

Another suggests still going integrated at $6K.

I realize my ears are the final deciding point but the grey stuff between them is longing for a more concrete set of guidelines.

Thanks for your thoughts and replies, the more the merrier,
Gus
gustav1
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,190 posts
 
Assuming your speakers don't require bi-amping, you're not reaching for the absolute state-of-the-art and/or you're not wedded to tube amplifiers there's no real sonic based reason to use separate pre and power amps. The current generation top of the line integrateds from Ayre, Bryston, Gryphon, Hegel, NAD, Pass, Rega and others are truly great performers.
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roscoeiii's avatar
roscoeiii
1,155 posts
 

As the posters above indicated, there are a number of excellent integrateds out there at a number of price points. For me the advantages of separates are twofold:

1) They allow you greater flexibility in tweaking the sound of your system. Now this can be quite the rabbit hole as you try mixing and matching, but if you are so inclined separates can allow you to really dial in a sound you like.

2) Separate power supplies for the amp and preamp should provide a performance boost (all other things being equal, which of course they never are). Separate power supplies is also a big advantage of monoblocks vs. stereo amps.
ejlif's avatar
ejlif
1,367 posts
 
I personally think you'd have to be in the 10k range to warrant separates. There are so many great sounding integrated amps these days it doesn't make much sense. My experience has led me to believe that you have to spend a pretty good chunk or money to get a great preamp.
kotta's avatar
kotta
649 posts
 
I've owned my share of int. amps along the way (the most in cost around $1500). I will say my bought used $125(slightly modified) Rotel RB-951 amp paired w/a completely stock $65 Adcom Gtp-350 pre/tuner sonically destroys any int. amp costing many times the price. If you don't have the space, int. amps are the best option. There are +/-'s for each, but I haven't owned an int. amp which has the drive of my onced owed Bryston 4B-ST. It's all about synergy.
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