Receivers or separates?

[ckelly]

What do you guys like more? Receivers or semi separated (integrated amp + tuner) or separates?

I prefer "semi" separates personally for these reasons:

1. Flexibility: you can add a separate tuner or power amp and upgrade by parts.

2. Integrated amps seem to be more overlooked than receivers as far as being "colectible" and you can get a better integrated for less money than a receiver in many cases.

3. I find having a separate tuner better than receivers with tuner built in, this is especially true of newer components where the tuner section was added in almost like an afterthought.

Chris

[bully]

I'd agree that today, having an FM/AM tuner built into an AV receiver is not the best use of resources.
Especially since the technology to provide superb FM reception is available, but not used. Or there is just "something" I can't really define.
My Pioneer Elite VSX-99 has some excellent FM tuner specs. But, I never have thought much of its abilities to grab and translate the signal. Yes, it is in the basement of a brick house. But, so are several other receivers, and several tuners. THEY sound quite good, and so far we're just using basic t-dipole antennae.
If you mix and match components, like I tend to do, separates make a lot of sense. Also, their individual construction would seem to make them more robust, and their performance is unhindered by the need to squeeze this or that onto a single chassis.
I also love the big receivers. One very large package is easier to situate than one very large and two other packages (preamps and tuners can range from very large to compact).
I just feel that any of my separates combos are just inherently better than any of my receivers. It is nothing I can really point to and say 'ah ha!' I have gone from one system to a receiver, or the other way, and really really could not say the one was absolutely better than the other. I know that the individual specs on the separates are superior to those of the receivers, but the differences are of a degree that does not compute to real live listening differences. When performance specs near or exceed the test equipment ... well, you see my dilemma.

ol' wishy-washy

[ckelly]

I dunno... in that sense I go by looks and love the way "separates" look, check these GORGEOUS combos:


http://www.classicaudio.com/forsale/sae.jpg

http://www.classicaudio.com/forsale/mz/170DC.jpg


Thank god dreaming is free ;)

DROOOL! :D

[Wardsweb]

I'm pretty sure everyone here knows where I stand on this one.
http://wardsweb.org/audio/home_theater_images/rack_left_thumb.jpghttp://wardsweb.org/audio/home_theater_images/rack_right_thumb.jpg
http://wardsweb.org/audio/sae_images/office_new_thumb.jpg http://wardsweb.org/audio/sae_images/x25system_thumb.jpg

[ProAc_Fan]

I'm in with the seperates crowd myself. With a little help from wardsweb I'm gonna be building( hopefully) a complete SAE series of matching seperates. To my way of thinking receivers( whilst being very useful) are by their very nature a compromise. It's unreasonable to expect 1 component to do everything well. Also you have the high voltage power supply sitting in the box next to the preamp section which should be as isolated as possible from interference. Just my .02 cents. BTW I love the look of many of the TOTL receivers but sonically there just not for me!!



Mike

[Robh3606]

I used to have seperates but when I went looking new I got scarred off $$$$$ and went with a Sony ES reciever. Glad I did it sounds great! I am contemplating a vintage seperates set-up. I already use a Technics preamp for my phono stage as the Sony's well is just not as good and I have a matching Technics tunner I need to hook up. Just need the matching amps. I have a nice integrated too but it is Silver front and not the army green gold letters like the rest. One of these days!!:)

[car67]

I've only ever had integrateds and separates in the past and part of the reason was I have never been much of a tuner man. Now that I have a couple of vintage Sansui tuners I see what I have been missing out on. Only have one receiver , a Sansui G3500 which is little nugget as far as I am concerned. But I don't have anything to compare it against. Like the looks of those TOTL receivers too.

Jack

[WildWest]

For different things, I have different gear needs. For DVD H/T viewing I like having a quality 5.1 AVR. My H/K 510 AVR is a very strong unit. But it only does the DVD 5.1 sound decoding. Well, I will listen to radio with it and with the 100 mile roof antenna it works well enough.

But for two channel stereo, (not into DPL II or the like) I prefer separates without a doubt.