When assembling a home audio or theater system what route should I go – separates or a receiver?
The first question you will face when assembling a home audio or theater system is whether to go the route of separates or a receiver. Years ago, this question was easily answered based on budget. But thanks to Rotel’s “balanced design” philosophy, breaking up is no longer hard to do. Of course, if you do not have the space for several pieces of equipment, then a receiver may be your only option. You will also need to take the power requirements of your speakers into consideration. Theoretically, separates provide better sound. Consider that a receiver has three components all in one box: a tuner (radio), a power amplifier (several if it is a home theatre receiver), and a preamplifier (for volume, tone controls, etc). That’s a lot of noise-generating circuitry going on in one box. By having separate components, each one is designed to handle one task, with their own dedicated power supplies, and without interference from the other. This also makes it easier to upgrade or repair a compo
