price point to move to separates vs integrated

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.

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.

Elizabeth is on to something - separate power supplies. All things being equal, that approach will give you better sound. I suggest you map a path to acquire a good tube pre amp and use it to feed the input of your current power amp, assuming it is an integrate. I came to that solution in my system and I am very pleased. I also have a separate pre amp that I feed dual mono block tube amps. The sound is about equal, not withstanding the separate mono blocks further the separation of the power supplies.. So, don't buy another integrate, go for a separate pre amp and something in the future get mono block amps.

I particularly agree with Roscoeiii`s 2nd point.Generally speaking seperates have the advantage of isolation, beefier and better power supplies.This is a significant factor for sound quality.
Regards,

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.

LOL! What a twit! Maybe he meant that low end separates would beat a low end integrated amp, in which case he could be right.

Yes, in the last 10 years or so integrated amps have come a long way, yet some audio snobs still refuse to give them their due. I have listened to a $6500 integrated amp go toe-to-toe with $20,000 separates and not only did not get embarrassed, but was surprisingly close. I would say the results were mixed. That integrated amp also embarrassed many separates costing more than it did.

Yes, theoretically separates have the potential to sound better, but there are many mitigating factors that can keep that from happening. Mismatching separates, extra cables and power cords are just other chances to screw up the sound. My current separates list for over $11K, yet I would be very tempted to switch to that integrated amp if I could find one.

Integrated amps will give you the best bang for the buck. $5K worth of separates may beat a $2K integrated amp. $10K of separates may beat a $5K integrated amp, etc. It would probably take over $50K of separates to beat VAC's $22K Phi Beta 110 integrated amp.