Once upon a time, all audio components were separates. In those days, a preamplifier boosted the minimal signal from the radio tuner or turntable to a level that could be used by the power amplifier. After the advent of high fidelity, manufactures began to shrink the profile of the home audio system by combining component functions. Integrated amplifiers wrapped the duties of the preamp and power-amp in one package, then receivers that added tuning functionality to the mix grew in popularity. Enthusiasts still swear by separates, and they may actually be on to something.
Flexibility
Separates offer knowledgeable users a chance to customize and build their system according to specific needs. Receivers pack the power amp for each channel inside, whereas monoblock amplifiers (one-channel units) offer more continuous power to the corresponding speaker. Monoblock amps also can be placed in close proximity to the speaker they are driving, which is optimal.
Inputs
When everything is crowded into one unit, space is at a premium. In order to make room for all the components, some extras are necessarily sacrificed. Usually, a separate preamp will offer a lot more analogue and digital inputs and outputs, giving you space to integrate more devices.
Performance
Amplifiers generate heat, and when they are packed in so tightly with the other components in a receiver, it can degrade sound quality and shorten the life of the equipment. Separate power amplifiers have plenty of room to control heat and deliver more power, while separate preamps maintain broader wiring pathways, which reduces or eliminates noise from adjoining components.
Power
In a receiver, the manufacturer must include an amplifier for each channel, and in today's 5.1 or 7.1-channel home theater systems, the number of stacked amplifiers limits the feasible power of each. A maximum of about 150 watts per channel is common, while a separate power amplifier need only account for the amplifiers and no other functions. That broadens the capability and pushes the peak to as much as 250 watts per channel or more.
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