I started watching this 11 seconds after it was released. At the end of the video, the number of views had increased to 81 with 14 likes. There are far too many of us desperately awaiting Hi-Fi grandpa's wise words.
Paul’s 2 am videos are like a welcome reminder of time from a friend. I enjoy them so much that I would really miss them if they stopped. So, Hi Fi GrandPaul has a long job ahead of him!!! 😊
@@ianbigsand7 Yes. I know the whole world is not on my time. And if I had known you 30 minutes ago, maybe I would have put my comment into your perspective of time and place. But I didn't, so there you have have it. As for 7 am in my part of the world, I'll be in deep sleep. I'm a retired night owl. 😁
Hi Paul, Leonard Cohen was once asked how old he was. His answer was this: “That’s a hard question to answer….I don’t know…but I live in a 70yo body”. I love that approach! Besides, there are integrated amps with two separated power supplies, like my Hegel that I love./Sten from Sweden
Leonard's answer was so true , i'm 57 but i feel inside me much younger but i also feel the difference on my body going the usual/natural downroad , we must get old and die for the new people to come in this life so let's injoy the momments as best we can and take care of ourselves to keep us in a good and a healthy condition because health matters the most . My best wishes to all people for the oncoming Christmas 🎄🎄🎄
Monoblocks and highest power that sounds great for me all day every day! Just my preference after exploring others. Great description and video as always Paul.
My grandmother always said that she would look in the mirror and know that she was getting older, but she never felt old. She also used to joke about her age as “39 and holding”. She died a few months after celebrating the 51st anniversary of her 39th birthday. Unless you suffer from very poor health, age is a state of mind. Keep up the videos Paul, we enjoy your boundless energy and deep knowledge. Happy Thanksgiving.
For me, I don't need anything more then the Sprout100 and my 1985 Polk SDA CRS speakers and Velodyne sub. I am amazed every time I listen to them. The speakers sound better then they ever have.
As a Kenwood rep back in the '70's, they showed an integrated in the purist line that had 6 or 8 (memory gone!) power supplies in a separate chassis. Each channel had two PS for the output (+/-), one for it's pre side and one for the phono stage.
Paul makes a good point that the engineer can take synergy into account when designing an integrated while the consumer has to figure out the synergy with separates. So in theory, separates can be better IF you can buy separates with synergy between them. The other point is that integrated equipment usually makes upgrading more expensive. You have a choice: either buy another integrated or replace it with separates even if you are happy with most components in your integrated
I respectfully feel that the balance has changed in recent years. There are some awesome integrated amps out there these days. Time was when the integrated was the poor relation of separates in a product range, but that balance has changed with at least one manufacturer I can think of making a flagship integrated to improve on the performance of previous flagship separates. Integrateds should be judged solely on their own merits these days.
Yes, I totally agree, especially if you consider the modern architecture of class D or pure | total digital amps like my Lyngdorf TDAI 3400. And don’t you ever forget: our room, your room, your room…. biggest “sound machine” after your speakers..
I'd say that while the efficiency of construction of a 10K integrated would make it sound somewhat better than a preamp, amp & good interconnect of that brand line whose total cost is 10K, if one is willing to spend more within a line, one will get, say, 10-15% better sound w/ separates a bit up that line. The degree of improvement is variable, of course.
It's even tighter than what Paul said as, for example, there are integrated amps with several power supplies so each part still has its own. Other than that separates goes higher up in total price in the ultra high end, so the sky is a bit higher, I'd say that the main advantage of separates, speaking on a general level, is that you can upgrade individual parts if you like to swap out equipment. Other than that, Paul is completely right in that we just have to listen and find what we like.
Years ago,I remember the Jeff Rowland "Concentra" being a good performer as integrateds go. More recently the naim "Supernait" springs to mind. It's easy to generalise about separates automatically being superior, and I would argue that it's mostly true,but there are exceptions to the rule.
It also depends on budget. When using separates you have to have more redundant components, which will eat into the budget and leave less money to spend on other components. The chassi is by far the most expensive single component, especially if it's well built, and that alone makes a great impact on the component budget.
There are also tradeoffs in terms of sound degradation due to an extra analogue cable and potential phase issues. To my ear separates tend to have better bass dynamics and treble separation, but lose out in the all-important midrange purity and engagement.
I enjoy your video's a lot, please keep on producing them. I agree separates are better than integrated. I've got your Mk2 DAC and 2 M700 monoblovks that have a Rogue RP5 preamp between them. It came down to Your BK preamp or the Rp5, I chose the Rogue because of ergonomics. I'm a bit older than you and I find the Rogue easier to 'read' from across the room, I can tell at a glance what the settings are without having to decipher the display so see what input is selected
My answer to that exact question was to enter the very robust PS Audio used market. Found an MKII DAC for 1100.00 shipped then 3 weeks later found an S-300 Amp for 1000.00 shipped. Invested in the PS Audio recommended USB cable, Audioquest Coffee and Water XLR's. Still room for improvement. A preamp at some point would be nice. Power and conditioning upgrades also possible. All Audioquest power cords. (RGB5 on the DAC) Best sounding system I've ever owned. Relatively small investment compared to many.
I also moved to separate components. I'm building around an A class preamplifier, currently the final stage is class D and it sounds great. In a year or two, I'll replace the power amplifier with a class A... maybe someday even with a tube one.
Paul answered my question last month regarding upgrading my speakers only or replacing my whole system and moving to PS audio Stellar separates and a pair of FR5s. I had a budget of $10k - $15k. My system consisted of a Cambridge Audio CXN100 streamer, a Yamaha A-S3200 integrated amp, and a pair of KLH Model 5s. Paul did not speak highly of my Yamaha integrated amp and recommended that I replace my whole system with PS audio components and speakers. Living only 70 miles away from Legacy Audio's factory, I decided to take a drive, tour the factory, and listen to their speakers. I purchased a pair of Legacy Audio SE speakers for just under $14k and kept my existing components. Am I glad I did! After a few hours of setup and tweaking, I was blown away by the clarity, detail, soundstage, and dynamics my system gave me. These speakers are big and beautiful. With dual 12" woofers, dual 7" mid-woofers, and dual AMT tweeters, they play full range, with extended highs and deep down lows. I will not need a subwoofer, which would have been the case with the FR5s. The real bonus here is the pre-outs on the Yammie, which will allow me to add an amplifier if I decide to go crazy! That said, given the SE's 95.4db sensitivity, my A-S3200 drives then effortlessly with dynamic headroom to spare!
@@tomw7043 I'm pleased it all worked out for you. That's the "danger" of recommending things remotely without familiarity. I think it's a shame that brick and mortar dealers are thinner on the ground now,making the process of finding the right route more tricky than before. I have a mate into the hobby who often asks "what about this?" Or "that?",often showing me what he's heard about on a forum after texting me about where to go next with his system.While I would only suggest something that's good "on paper",I always suggest that he tries to find the opportunity to listen for himself. Irrespective of what the specs say,in order to consider anything remotely you have to establish what those specs might mean for what you hear. Without marrying the two you can only use your ears and see how it goes.I'm not a pure objectivist,but I have managed to align certain parameters with a sound I like .
One factor to consider is the added complexity of matching separate components. Studios prefer active monitors because they deliver accurate sound reproduction, are easy to use, and eliminate many of the complexities associated with passive systems. Active monitors have built-in amplifiers specifically designed for their drivers, ensuring a flat and accurate frequency response critical for mixing and listening. This lets engineers focus more on the creative process without being distracted by technical issues. There are big benefits of integrated components, specifically active monitors.
I agree but I can add this: to rely on personal build up of separates it has to be done with a good understanding of the desired sound and functions you like otherwise the balance of the chain would be impaired and worst than the one got by an integrated approach. You can read and watch several reviews and videos but in the end the veredict will relay in your ears in your room so this is like a mined field type of experience
One point, an advantage to separates that I thought Paul was going to when he mentioned synergy buying say the best DAC is that if and when money is available as one learns and appreciates the hobby, other individual components at the level of that great DAC can be added one at a time to create a higher level of synergy without having to re purchase the whole package so to speak as with an integrated.
Hi-Fi Grandpa is good. To person asking question focus on room first. How LONG will you live at that space or have the room your equipment is playing in? Build the system around optimizing the room unless where equipment is going is short term. Separates tend to cost more and also you have extra power outlet and cabling needs which can increase the cost a bunch. You also need acoustic treatments for the room. Depends on how high a level you want to take it. Go listen to 50k,100k systems and then back down to your budget and look at options. That way you can have reference of higher level system and know more what you are listening to at your budget level.
Surprised more companies don't go the route of separating the amplifiers from the psu. e.g. The Graham Slee Proprius, which uses a cheaply boxed psu (intended to be hidden away) to give a very good value product.
Paul, I am 61, only married 5 years of those. Former wife has 4 Daughters. My first Grandchild came just after getting married. Divorced in 2004. Now I have 14 Grandkids and Great Grandchild number 6 will be Here in 4 months. Somehow I keep thinking I need to start looking at walkers and funeral plots...😂
It’s really subjective. I was thinking about asking a audiophile the same exact question. I have separate components but they are 30 years old and mid fi. A Rotel power amp and preamp and a Adcom Gfa power amp and a Yamaha receiver plus a NAD 316 bee integrated amp. I probably will save up for a new or used power amplifier. The market is getting flooded with affordable integrated amplifiers so I’m wondering if separates are being phased out?
Separates make future upgrades easier. With a single integrated product, your have few/limited options for upgrades. With separates, you can upgrade one or two components at a time as your budget allows.
Age is relative. My philosophy is that a man is only as old as the woman he feels. In my secondary hi-fi system in the spare bedroom, I have a 30 plus year old, British, premium, integrated amp, which I bought with the contents of my first ever wage packet, when I wore a younger man’s clothes. After having it refurbished and recapped a couple of years ago, it sounds as good as ever and can competently compete with its modern day equivalent. I’ve not been recapped or refurbished. Rejected maybe a few tines. But I can competently compete with my 30 years younger persona. It might take me all night, to do what I used to do all night, and I’m probably built now more for comfort than speed, but my mindset, attitude and outlook are unchanged. Oh, and I try and avoid looking in the mirror, except when shaving.
Intergrateds dont flesh out the layers of instruments like seperates. Even separets that dont cost very much seem to beat expensive intergreateds on this everytime
At 65 I am about as thrilled by mirrors as is Dracula. Every time I see myself I want to turn away. Aging sucks. I don't Feel that old, so I don't think I should look like it. I hear only slight differences, if any, between separates and integrateds. The overall quality of sound varies more with topolgy than with separation of functions.
Audio systems are similar to computers: there are integrated devices - like Getto-Blster - and there are many individual parts that you can or must combine to listen to music. Or - to stay with computers ... some people use notebooks to have everything in one box ;)
Paul - synergy is the word. my experience has been, after acquiring and combining well regarded separates, I came to needing to color match with cables searching for synergy. thats alot of cables in any system. interconnects, ethernet, power cables, thats alot of cables and each device and each cable contributed to well balanced or not, never quite right. (surprising to me was the ethernet cable changed things the most?) an experienced person suggested, instead of color matching, why not just get an integrated where the manufacture strived for their idea of balance. low and behold, nirvana!
Power supply is key. I have a BT amp, with 3 separate, oversized power supply: one for the BT module, and dual mono design for the final stage. Classic transformer and rectifier design, with audio grade capacitor as filter.
@georgebliss964 well, in my case I needed 3 otherwise dual mono would have a ground loop with the BT module. You probably get away with an excellent single one sharing one ground.
As my body disintegrates with time, my mind & spirit don’t🥳. They’re a collective of knowledge & taste. I’ve been an audiophile for 50yrs+, had lots of components. Integrated amps have SYNERGY which separates don’t. Cables are a main factor, finding the best ones (tube-rolling anyone?), & paying for them. Status/Ego drives big components to justify high prices🙈. SOTA integrated’s have that synergy engineered into them; p/s, amp, pre, DAC & phono stage, eliminating the conundrum choice of cables. Their demure size saves room, but punch as good as separates. Aavik & Jeff Rowland have excellent Class D models, which is still evolving, & that easily rival the best separates costing much more😎.
There are eleven paid holidays at PS Audio, if you count New Years twice, as seen on the sign. I'm surprised one of your amplifier designers hasn't placed a post-it saying "This holiday schedule goes to 11."
Just buying the best separates you can afford does not automatically guarantee synergy or a better sounding system vs integrated IMHO. There are some terrible sounding systems out there that cost crazy money. I value knowing what you actually like and want and then trying to build a system around that preference over what something costs 🤷♂️
"End of the day, you've got to listen." - that's all that matters. Audition the Wiim DACs, DAC/ amps and the Eversolo DACs, amps and compare them against the ones you get recommended from audiophile magazines. I'd be surprised if you get anything close for that price that gets out of the way. Pair them up to a pair of excellent active/ passive speakers such as the Kali IN series or Elac DBR-62s and you cannot do better today.
Yes, power supplies are the unspoken heroes of amplification and of the wider hifi! Mind you, even the 35$ Google Chromecast came with its own low-noise USB brick, and it was successful in its segment. It is hard to see why it was successful if you use it with a generic USB charger
I don’t think Paul answered the question. If separates are better than integrateds, then why doesn’t PS Audio build a set of separates to replace the Sprout integrated? The answer, I suspect, would be that the quality of parts would have to go down with two power supplies, two chassis’s, two etc. and so would the sound quality. The real question, at least the way I understand it, is: what is the price point at which an integrated starts to sound noticeably worse than separates for the same price? $1,000?5,000? $10,000? Lots of companies build $10,000+ integrateds. Would they do so if they thought the integrated sounded noticeably worse than the corresponding $10,000+ pre/power amp pair? I don’t think so. So why does PS Audio think differently? Still not sure.
Yes, listening to music is the way one finds out weather or not it makes them "feel," aka- like that particular music. I wasn't aware there was any other way. Every time you listen to music you are listening to your gear. Obviously, the gear is what makes the highs, mids and lows when it comes to the sound of your music that makes you "feel." I will always believe that everyone has right to their opinion, but I just can't understand why some people are so enamored about some people's choice of how they live *their life* and what they do with their hobbies, and yes, audio equipment and the music can be considered a hobby.
Another major benefit of separates is being able to upgrade the whole system piece by piece. E.G. upgrade your $1K preamp to a $2K preamp rather than upgrading your $5K integrated with a $10K integrated. This means you are more likely to be able to afford to upgrade your system over time. Also; if an integrated fails then you lose everything!!
Most of my life, I’ve been young. Now I’m 69. So I often think of myself from the younger perspective. But as health issues and pain become more prevalent I am more aware of being old, and my perspective has caught up with my age and ailments.
But we have a problem with separates in HiFi industry. Unfortunately, marketing and a tons of snake oil are governing HiFi industry (what is left of it). So, what we have on the market? For example, I buy a streamer that has an integrated DAC and costs 2.500$. Separate DAC of comparable sound quality costs 1.200$. But if I want to buy the streamer from the same company without DAC they want to charge my card 4.500$! Ok, this separate transport streamer has some things better (not the sound), but I do not need them! So, why I cannot buy the same streamer as a transport with some discount based on the fact there is no integrated DAC, so it must be less expensive to produce it? Same thing is with every separate - they are waaay more expensive than integrated for the same sound quality or funcionality.
This is not true. Oftentimes you can put together a system of components with more watts and better sound quality than an integrated of equal value or even one that costs more.
Still not convinced that integrated amps are the way to go. Too many issues with cheaply made individual pieces to want to everything in one piece. They don't make audio components to be repaired these days.
Imho if you are driving speakers that require real power and/or are low ohms I would go with a separate amp. Intergrated just don't seem to have the a$$ they need.
LMAO, another story replete with the typical "audiophile" myths (and lies). Tell me about the science of "synergy". "The designer puts the 'synergy' in.'. As if that's some rare silver wire, de-oxidized in space? This is complete crap. There are manufacturers who can develop and build integrated amps that have all quality sections, including amazing phono stages and DAC's. Get real.
I believe that even the most discerning ears cannot tell the difference between separates and a good integrated. Keep in mind that patch cords almost never improve sound. There are pros and cons to both. Just don't blindly dive into separates and think you've got the holy grail. Separates do make it easier to swap out sources, preamps, phono stages, power amps, etc. There are also integrated amps that contain multiple power supplies and/or multiple transformers to reduce cross talk and induced noise. If you want separates, just make sure you're not just paying for extra metal that makes up the enclosures. Manufacturers would rather you buy separates than a all in one solution as profits are higher (so are materials and labor to build them). Showing my age here but I'm pretty sure everyone reading this would not be able to hear the difference or discern any performance difference between a quality receiver and a similar quality separate tuner and integrated amp setup. I know I can't. Separates allow swapability and make troubleshooting easier. I hope PS Audio does offer the integrated amp Paul speaks of. I'm wondering if it will he Class AB or D.......
On a $$ perspective… a good amplifier will last longer than the preamplifier… you probably change all your system, and keep a good amplifier… over time, it probably cost less for improving sound….
Moar boxes = moar better. Everyone knows this. Plus you can spend a bunch of money on interconnects fancy power cables and brag about all your boxes and power cables on the internet and to your imaginary friends.
Plot twist: after we die and go to heaven, we are able to choose how old our astral body looks and most people tend to go for around age 30. Source: numerous NDE survivors.
Paul! Getting old isn't inevitable, it's a privilege that not everyone gets to enjoy.
Getting old beats the alternatives
Excellent way to look at life, I'll remember that and repeat it.
We must protect Paul at all costs, such a great dude, thanks for the videos.
I started watching this 11 seconds after it was released. At the end of the video, the number of views had increased to 81 with 14 likes. There are far too many of us desperately awaiting Hi-Fi grandpa's wise words.
Paul’s 2 am videos are like a welcome reminder of time from a friend.
I enjoy them so much that I would really miss them if they stopped.
So, Hi Fi GrandPaul has a long job ahead of him!!! 😊
@unclewilbur8976 it's a more sane 7am in the UK
@@ianbigsand7 Yes. I know the whole world is not on my time.
And if I had known you 30 minutes ago, maybe I would have put my comment into your perspective of time and place. But I didn't, so there you have have it. As for 7 am in my part of the world, I'll be in deep sleep. I'm a retired night owl. 😁
Hi Paul, Leonard Cohen was once asked how old he was. His answer was this: “That’s a hard question to answer….I don’t know…but I live in a 70yo body”. I love that approach!
Besides, there are integrated amps with two separated power supplies, like my Hegel that I love./Sten from Sweden
A variation on the age question, I've liked, "if you don't know how old you are, how old would you be".
Leonard's answer was so true , i'm 57 but i feel inside me much younger but i also feel the difference on my body going the usual/natural downroad , we must get old and die for the new people to come in this life so let's injoy the momments as best we can and take care of ourselves to keep us in a good and a healthy condition because health matters the most .
My best wishes to all people for the oncoming Christmas 🎄🎄🎄
Being old is a lot better than the alternative.
Monoblocks and highest power that sounds great for me all day every day! Just my preference after exploring others. Great description and video as always Paul.
My grandmother always said that she would look in the mirror and know that she was getting older, but she never felt old. She also used to joke about her age as “39 and holding”. She died a few months after celebrating the 51st anniversary of her 39th birthday. Unless you suffer from very poor health, age is a state of mind. Keep up the videos Paul, we enjoy your boundless energy and deep knowledge. Happy Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving Hi-fi grandpa. Love your videos keep them coming. I’ve learned so much thank you.
For me, I don't need anything more then the Sprout100 and my 1985 Polk SDA CRS speakers and Velodyne sub. I am amazed every time I listen to them. The speakers sound better then they ever have.
As a Kenwood rep back in the '70's, they showed an integrated in the purist line that had 6 or 8 (memory gone!) power supplies in a separate chassis. Each channel had two PS for the output (+/-), one for it's pre side and one for the phono stage.
Happy Thanksgiving Paul. Thañks for sharing your knowledge with all of us that love music.
You may be a "Hi-fi grandpa", but you have my respect for doing these videos daily. Keep'em coming. Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃
Paul makes a good point that the engineer can take synergy into account when designing an integrated while the consumer has to figure out the synergy with separates. So in theory, separates can be better IF you can buy separates with synergy between them. The other point is that integrated equipment usually makes upgrading more expensive. You have a choice: either buy another integrated or replace it with separates even if you are happy with most components in your integrated
Paul brings the enthusiasm of a teenager to our hobby, regardless of age.
I respectfully feel that the balance has changed in recent years. There are some awesome integrated amps out there these days. Time was when the integrated was the poor relation of separates in a product range, but that balance has changed with at least one manufacturer I can think of making a flagship integrated to improve on the performance of previous flagship separates. Integrateds should be judged solely on their own merits these days.
I agree I have a Luxman L507z integrated amp. Very happy.
Yes, I totally agree, especially if you consider the modern architecture of class D or pure | total digital amps like my Lyngdorf TDAI 3400. And don’t you ever forget: our room, your room, your room…. biggest “sound machine” after your speakers..
Completely agree. Listen to something like the Bel Canto e1X and a person will realize how incredible the best integrated amps have become.
I'd say that while the efficiency of construction of a 10K integrated would make it sound somewhat better than a preamp, amp & good interconnect of that brand line whose total cost is 10K, if one is willing to spend more within a line, one will get, say, 10-15% better sound w/ separates a bit up that line. The degree of improvement is variable, of course.
That's my question! happy thanks giving Hi-Fi Grandpa! Thankyou for all the knowledge you have shared with me.
It's even tighter than what Paul said as, for example, there are integrated amps with several power supplies so each part still has its own.
Other than that separates goes higher up in total price in the ultra high end, so the sky is a bit higher, I'd say that the main advantage of separates, speaking on a general level, is that you can upgrade individual parts if you like to swap out equipment.
Other than that, Paul is completely right in that we just have to listen and find what we like.
Years ago,I remember the Jeff Rowland "Concentra" being a good performer as integrateds go. More recently the naim "Supernait" springs to mind. It's easy to generalise about separates automatically being superior, and I would argue that it's mostly true,but there are exceptions to the rule.
It also depends on budget. When using separates you have to have more redundant components, which will eat into the budget and leave less money to spend on other components. The chassi is by far the most expensive single component, especially if it's well built, and that alone makes a great impact on the component budget.
There are also tradeoffs in terms of sound degradation due to an extra analogue cable and potential phase issues. To my ear separates tend to have better bass dynamics and treble separation, but lose out in the all-important midrange purity and engagement.
I enjoy your video's a lot, please keep on producing them.
I agree separates are better than integrated. I've got your Mk2 DAC and 2 M700 monoblovks that have a Rogue RP5 preamp between them. It came down to Your BK preamp or the Rp5, I chose the Rogue because of ergonomics. I'm a bit older than you and I find the Rogue easier to 'read' from across the room, I can tell at a glance what the settings are without having to decipher the display so see what input is selected
You are the best Paul ❤❤❤
My answer to that exact question was to enter the very robust PS Audio used market. Found an MKII DAC for 1100.00 shipped then 3 weeks later found an S-300 Amp for 1000.00 shipped. Invested in the PS Audio recommended USB cable, Audioquest Coffee and Water XLR's. Still room for improvement. A preamp at some point would be nice. Power and conditioning upgrades also possible. All Audioquest power cords. (RGB5 on the DAC) Best sounding system I've ever owned. Relatively small investment compared to many.
I also moved to separate components. I'm building around an A class preamplifier, currently the final stage is class D and it sounds great. In a year or two, I'll replace the power amplifier with a class A... maybe someday even with a tube one.
Paul answered my question last month regarding upgrading my speakers only or replacing my whole system and moving to PS audio Stellar separates and a pair of FR5s. I had a budget of $10k - $15k. My system consisted of a Cambridge Audio CXN100 streamer, a Yamaha A-S3200 integrated amp, and a pair of KLH Model 5s. Paul did not speak highly of my Yamaha integrated amp and recommended that I replace my whole system with PS audio components and speakers. Living only 70 miles away from Legacy Audio's factory, I decided to take a drive, tour the factory, and listen to their speakers. I purchased a pair of Legacy Audio SE speakers for just under $14k and kept my existing components. Am I glad I did! After a few hours of setup and tweaking, I was blown away by the clarity, detail, soundstage, and dynamics my system gave me. These speakers are big and beautiful. With dual 12" woofers, dual 7" mid-woofers, and dual AMT tweeters, they play full range, with extended highs and deep down lows. I will not need a subwoofer, which would have been the case with the FR5s. The real bonus here is the pre-outs on the Yammie, which will allow me to add an amplifier if I decide to go crazy! That said, given the SE's 95.4db sensitivity, my A-S3200 drives then effortlessly with dynamic headroom to spare!
@@tomw7043 I'm pleased it all worked out for you. That's the "danger" of recommending things remotely without familiarity. I think it's a shame that brick and mortar dealers are thinner on the ground now,making the process of finding the right route more tricky than before. I have a mate into the hobby who often asks "what about this?" Or "that?",often showing me what he's heard about on a forum after texting me about where to go next with his system.While I would only suggest something that's good "on paper",I always suggest that he tries to find the opportunity to listen for himself. Irrespective of what the specs say,in order to consider anything remotely you have to establish what those specs might mean for what you hear. Without marrying the two you can only use your ears and see how it goes.I'm not a pure objectivist,but I have managed to align certain parameters with a sound I like .
One factor to consider is the added complexity of matching separate components. Studios prefer active monitors because they deliver accurate sound reproduction, are easy to use, and eliminate many of the complexities associated with passive systems.
Active monitors have built-in amplifiers specifically designed for their drivers, ensuring a flat and accurate frequency response critical for mixing and listening.
This lets engineers focus more on the creative process without being distracted by technical issues.
There are big benefits of integrated components, specifically active monitors.
I love my Heed Thesis Components with PS Audio DAC and ProAc K3 ✌️🤗
I agree but I can add this: to rely on personal build up of separates it has to be done with a good understanding of the desired sound and functions you like otherwise the balance of the chain would be impaired and worst than the one got by an integrated approach. You can read and watch several reviews and videos but in the end the veredict will relay in your ears in your room so this is like a mined field type of experience
love that age analogy
I was able to get a tube preamp and solid state power amp, that work super well with my speakers and sources!
One point, an advantage to separates that I thought Paul was going to when he mentioned synergy buying say the best DAC is that if and when money is available as one learns and appreciates the hobby, other individual components at the level of that great DAC can be added one at a time to create a higher level of synergy without having to re purchase the whole package so to speak as with an integrated.
Hi-Fi Grandpa is good. To person asking question focus on room first. How LONG will you live at that space or have the room your equipment is playing in? Build the system around optimizing the room unless where equipment is going is short term. Separates tend to cost more and also you have extra power outlet and cabling needs which can increase the cost a bunch. You also need acoustic treatments for the room. Depends on how high a level you want to take it. Go listen to 50k,100k systems and then back down to your budget and look at options. That way you can have reference of higher level system and know more what you are listening to at your budget level.
I think the question was about preamp/power-amp separates, not dac and phono-stage separates.
Surprised more companies don't go the route of separating the amplifiers from the psu. e.g. The Graham Slee Proprius, which uses a cheaply boxed psu (intended to be hidden away) to give a very good value product.
Paul you are hundred percent correct, many variables. Grampa Paul
My approach would be to have separate power for left and right power, pre, phono and maybe middle.
Happy Thanksgiving HiFi Grandpa!!!
Paul, I am 61, only married 5 years of those. Former wife has 4 Daughters. My first Grandchild came just after getting married. Divorced in 2004. Now I have 14 Grandkids and Great Grandchild number 6 will be Here in 4 months. Somehow I keep thinking I need to start looking at walkers and funeral plots...😂
Are you the sole financial power supply for a formally integrated family that is now separates?
Happy Thanksgiving, Paul~
It’s really subjective. I was thinking about asking a audiophile the same exact question. I have separate components but they are 30 years old and mid fi. A Rotel power amp and preamp and a Adcom Gfa power amp and a Yamaha receiver plus a NAD 316 bee integrated amp. I probably will save up for a new or used power amplifier. The market is getting flooded with affordable integrated amplifiers so I’m wondering if separates are being phased out?
Separates make future upgrades easier. With a single integrated product, your have few/limited options for upgrades. With separates, you can upgrade one or two components at a time as your budget allows.
Paul has become the Yoda of Hi-Fi audio: His advice you must obey.
Age is relative. My philosophy is that a man is only as old as the woman he feels. In my secondary hi-fi system in the spare bedroom, I have a 30 plus year old, British, premium, integrated amp, which I bought with the contents of my first ever wage packet, when I wore a younger man’s clothes. After having it refurbished and recapped a couple of years ago, it sounds as good as ever and can competently compete with its modern day equivalent. I’ve not been recapped or refurbished. Rejected maybe a few tines. But I can competently compete with my 30 years younger persona. It might take me all night, to do what I used to do all night, and I’m probably built now more for comfort than speed, but my mindset, attitude and outlook are unchanged. Oh, and I try and avoid looking in the mirror, except when shaving.
Intergrateds dont flesh out the layers of instruments like seperates. Even separets that dont cost very much seem to beat expensive intergreateds on this everytime
At 65 I am about as thrilled by mirrors as is Dracula. Every time I see myself I want to turn away.
Aging sucks. I don't Feel that old, so I don't think I should look like it.
I hear only slight differences, if any, between separates and integrateds.
The overall quality of sound varies more with topolgy than with separation of functions.
Audio systems are similar to computers: there are integrated devices - like Getto-Blster - and there are many individual parts that you can or must combine to listen to music. Or - to stay with computers ... some people use notebooks to have everything in one box ;)
Paul - synergy is the word. my experience has been, after acquiring and combining well regarded separates, I came to needing to color match with cables searching for synergy. thats alot of cables in any system. interconnects, ethernet, power cables, thats alot of cables and each device and each cable contributed to well balanced or not, never quite right. (surprising to me was the ethernet cable changed things the most?) an experienced person suggested, instead of color matching, why not just get an integrated where the manufacture strived for their idea of balance. low and behold, nirvana!
north of $10k
Someone needs to invent a mirror that when you gaze into it makes you look 20yrs younger.
I have an integrated amp, the better sound would be subjective for separates, the main advantage of separates would be upgrading the amp and preamp.
Power supply is key. I have a BT amp, with 3 separate, oversized power supply: one for the BT module, and dual mono design for the final stage. Classic transformer and rectifier design, with audio grade capacitor as filter.
Not true.
Just think of a preamp as an extra gain stage on the same circuit board as the power amp.
@georgebliss964 well, in my case I needed 3 otherwise dual mono would have a ground loop with the BT module. You probably get away with an excellent single one sharing one ground.
As my body disintegrates with time, my mind & spirit don’t🥳. They’re a collective of knowledge & taste. I’ve been an audiophile for 50yrs+, had lots of components. Integrated amps have SYNERGY which separates don’t. Cables are a main factor, finding the best ones (tube-rolling anyone?), & paying for them. Status/Ego drives big components to justify high prices🙈. SOTA integrated’s have that synergy engineered into them; p/s, amp, pre, DAC & phono stage, eliminating the conundrum choice of cables. Their demure size saves room, but punch as good as separates. Aavik & Jeff Rowland have excellent Class D models, which is still evolving, & that easily rival the best separates costing much more😎.
There are eleven paid holidays at PS Audio, if you count New Years twice, as seen on the sign. I'm surprised one of your amplifier designers hasn't placed a post-it saying "This holiday schedule goes to 11."
If you produce a 1200 to 1500 integrated Amp I am interested!!!
Mid to hi end integrateds are almost always underpowered when compared to separates for the same amount of money. Never been a fan of integrated amps.
A new integrated amplifier circa $1000 seems like a good move providing it is class AB.
I wonder if it will use a SMPS?
I bet you anything it's going to be class D
Just buying the best separates you can afford does not automatically guarantee synergy or a better sounding system vs integrated IMHO. There are some terrible sounding systems out there that cost crazy money. I value knowing what you actually like and want and then trying to build a system around that preference over what something costs 🤷♂️
Any day above ground enjoying good health is a good day, despite the age.
Congratulations Ray!
Have a great day! 😊
"End of the day, you've got to listen." - that's all that matters. Audition the Wiim DACs, DAC/ amps and the Eversolo DACs, amps and compare them against the ones you get recommended from audiophile magazines. I'd be surprised if you get anything close for that price that gets out of the way. Pair them up to a pair of excellent active/ passive speakers such as the Kali IN series or Elac DBR-62s and you cannot do better today.
Effectively an integrated is more of a compromised solution from the get-go ….
Yes, power supplies are the unspoken heroes of amplification and of the wider hifi! Mind you, even the 35$ Google Chromecast came with its own low-noise USB brick, and it was successful in its segment. It is hard to see why it was successful if you use it with a generic USB charger
I would be a very happy camper with an MA9500, just saying.
I don’t think Paul answered the question.
If separates are better than integrateds, then why doesn’t PS Audio build a set of separates to replace the Sprout integrated? The answer, I suspect, would be that the quality of parts would have to go down with two power supplies, two chassis’s, two etc. and so would the sound quality.
The real question, at least the way I understand it, is: what is the price point at which an integrated starts to sound noticeably worse than separates for the same price? $1,000?5,000? $10,000? Lots of companies build $10,000+ integrateds. Would they do so if they thought the integrated sounded noticeably worse than the corresponding $10,000+ pre/power amp pair? I don’t think so. So why does PS Audio think differently? Still not sure.
Remember.
-listen to the music and how it makes you feel.😊
-If all you do os listen to gear, you'll always be miserable 😢
Yes, listening to music is the way one finds out weather or not it makes them "feel," aka- like that particular music. I wasn't aware there was any other way.
Every time you listen to music you are listening to your gear. Obviously, the gear is what makes the highs, mids and lows when it comes to the sound of your music that makes you "feel."
I will always believe that everyone has right to their opinion, but I just can't understand why some people are so enamored about some people's choice of how they live *their life* and what they do with their hobbies, and yes, audio equipment and the music can be considered a hobby.
Another major benefit of separates is being able to upgrade the whole system piece by piece. E.G. upgrade your $1K preamp to a $2K preamp rather than upgrading your $5K integrated with a $10K integrated. This means you are more likely to be able to afford to upgrade your system over time. Also; if an integrated fails then you lose everything!!
You and me both brother. I’m two years older than you but I feel like I’m 30. Wonder what my twin granddaughters think
i thing the question is a 10000$ intergrated vs a 2000$ seperates
Hi-Fi Grand Paul :D
A HiFi Grandpa channel would probably have a lot of hifi grandpa subscribers 😅
"HI-FI GRANDPAul!"
Alex, in Ohio, if you are leaning towards an integrated amp, try to audition the Aesthetix Mimas unit.
Ayre
You think you feel like you're 35 because you don't remember what that felt like. Thinking positively helps to get through being old, though.
Let us give you some THANKS on Tanksgiving, HiFi Grandpa. 😄
Thank you for serving the Audiophile religion. 😄
Most of my life, I’ve been young. Now I’m 69. So I often think of myself from the younger perspective. But as health issues and pain become more prevalent I am more aware of being old, and my perspective has caught up with my age and ailments.
I guess this makes me a lo fi dink 😂
My thinking was always don’t put all your eggs in one basket ..
But we have a problem with separates in HiFi industry. Unfortunately, marketing and a tons of snake oil are governing HiFi industry (what is left of it). So, what we have on the market? For example, I buy a streamer that has an integrated DAC and costs 2.500$. Separate DAC of comparable sound quality costs 1.200$. But if I want to buy the streamer from the same company without DAC they want to charge my card 4.500$! Ok, this separate transport streamer has some things better (not the sound), but I do not need them! So, why I cannot buy the same streamer as a transport with some discount based on the fact there is no integrated DAC, so it must be less expensive to produce it?
Same thing is with every separate - they are waaay more expensive than integrated for the same sound quality or funcionality.
This is not true. Oftentimes you can put together a system of components with more watts and better sound quality than an integrated of equal value or even one that costs more.
Most older people (including this one) feel younger than they are 🥳
if you buy the integrated you will always wonder......if you go separates you will say its better no matter what....
Still not convinced that integrated amps are the way to go. Too many issues with cheaply made individual pieces to want to everything in one piece. They don't make audio components to be repaired these days.
I have an easy solution to feeling old.....avoid mirrors 😂
Imho if you are driving speakers that require real power and/or are low ohms I would go with a separate amp. Intergrated just don't seem to have the a$$ they need.
The slightest thing and he's off on a tangent......always
Is Paul still fit for his age? I think we need an objective judgement on that. Where is Morning Joe when you need him?
😂😂😂
Synergypa
LMAO, another story replete with the typical "audiophile" myths (and lies). Tell me about the science of "synergy". "The designer puts the 'synergy' in.'. As if that's some rare silver wire, de-oxidized in space? This is complete crap. There are manufacturers who can develop and build integrated amps that have all quality sections, including amazing phono stages and DAC's. Get real.
I believe that even the most discerning ears cannot tell the difference between separates and a good integrated.
Keep in mind that patch cords almost never improve sound. There are pros and cons to both. Just don't blindly dive into separates and think you've got the holy grail. Separates do make it easier to swap out sources, preamps, phono stages, power amps, etc.
There are also integrated amps that contain multiple power supplies and/or multiple transformers to reduce cross talk and induced noise.
If you want separates, just make sure you're not just paying for extra metal that makes up the enclosures. Manufacturers would rather you buy separates than a all in one solution as profits are higher (so are materials and labor to build them).
Showing my age here but I'm pretty sure everyone reading this would not be able to hear the difference or discern any performance difference between a quality receiver and a similar quality separate tuner and integrated amp setup. I know I can't.
Separates allow swapability and make troubleshooting easier.
I hope PS Audio does offer the integrated amp Paul speaks of. I'm wondering if it will he Class AB or D.......
On a $$ perspective… a good amplifier will last longer than the preamplifier… you probably change all your system, and keep a good amplifier… over time, it probably cost less for improving sound….
Too many generalizations. Many benefits to an integrated; as a manufacturer, too focused on selling the most components!
more amps = betterer
Happy Thanksgiving Hi Fi GrandPaul!!!!! 😊
that's just false to say I had $10,000 to spend we would make a better amplifier just nonsense.
Moar boxes = moar better. Everyone knows this. Plus you can spend a bunch of money on interconnects fancy power cables and brag about all your boxes and power cables on the internet and to your imaginary friends.
I’m first!
And now you want a balloon?
Plot twist: after we die and go to heaven, we are able to choose how old our astral body looks and most people tend to go for around age 30. Source: numerous NDE survivors.