Integrated or pre/power amps?

I know what my personal choice is but thought this could open up some interesting opinions?

 

Recent try outs include the Moon W10/P5 is powerful combo but too warm in the mids, and is cuddly in the bass.
nice build and looks though.
Not sure what I'd go for, also had the Gyrphon Sonta allegro not bad, lost some dynamics to the current pre and against was just a touch warm in the mids.But pretty good.
The Levinson 32.5 ref pre (I know levvy LOL!!) isn't a bad unit at all.
The Belles valve pre is very good and musical. nice price too
power amps Belles 500's in mono, even the 150 ref is a cracking amp.
Else its build your own.

 

I'd say that a good integrated can be better than a poorly executed pre:i/cower - and a lot cheaper too. I'm in the pre-power camp, partly I feel keeping little signals and big signals apart is a good thing, by and large, but mainly down to the fact that my current amps blew me away and I had to have them (not knowing what they were or how much, when first I heard them at a dealers - the first product in a LONG time to really surprise me).

 

I think my Lavardin IT can take on a lot of pre/power combi's... A lot depends on the fact if a manufacturer has developed a pre/power first, or an integrated.

 

Interresting stuff I luv both the moon and the gryphon stuff but really want to audition an Lavadin It to hear what all the fuss is about.

I'm currently using a Gryphon Callisto 2100 int amp and yes it has a bit of warmth but it really is so musical.

 

Shane, make sure you have pretty efficient speaker. Lavardin will be happy with them.

 

The opposite case can of course be made........

having a pre and seperate power amps can allow you much greater flexibility. There are good sonic reasons for keeping these units apart. You can easily add another power amp or change the pre with out the expense of buying the whole caboodle each time you upgrade. Assuming units of equal sonic excellence the pre pwer combo will be better than the integrated.

I would not have been able to test the T-amps if I was running an intigrated or test different pre amps etc.

 

There is also something to say for integrated amps: shorter signal path, elimination of extra interlinks, one box (less money)... But all other things being equal, pre and power amps will beat integrated amps.

 

Then again you could missed the pre out all together and run direct

 

I think most pre-power combo's miss the point somewhat. Much beter to have the transformers and all the dirty bits in one box and all the active bits in another.
Just my 2p worth.

 

I knew you were going to say this...

 

I think a good integrated is almost always better than a pre-power at the same price. Pre-powers come into their own when high power is required or desired but in my experience a good integrated is the way to go in many domestic situations (Like those of us with Kids and neighbours). I have heard many examples of both. An integrated with a power supply in another box seems the best way of putting suff in two boxes to me.

 

G,
I didn't disappoint then

 

ASR Emitter...

 

Nope...

 

The asr is very good especially the bigger one, though about £2k over the top price wise.
But a very good amp none the less, and its 5 boxes????? LOL

 

There is one available in my own street second hand...

 

Some one may get a good deal then G,
I certainly would not considering changing what I have for the ASR.
It isn't an upgrade for me, however its a very good amp without question and does a lot of things superbly

 

Pre and power is definately the way to go if you are an amp manufacturer. Even better if you can charge enormous amounts for add on power supplies!

I'd buy integrated at all price points up until you have no choice (currently around £6K), provided you aren't running really difficult loudspeakers.

 

So, that's what I do since February of this year. I had to choose between:

1. Keeping my Arcam CD23 and buy a (expensive) pre.
2. Sell my Arcam and (used as pre only) integrated Accuphase E-207, and buy a Wadia 830.