“Do you think the reliability will be an issue when going to a three in one unit?”
I think the simple fact that your last separates have lasted 17 years is a pretty strong argument for staying with separates. It’s kinda like the all in one home office printer/fax/copier/scanners. If the fax goes tits up, it takes everything else with it. And you will never see them in a productive office environment where they will see a lot of use. With separates, you can at least replace the unit that goes bad on you. Also, as you are surfing around price shopping, you’ll soon see that the high end audio components are mostly separates. I certainly noticed a difference with the Rotels, and I didn’t have a junk receiver to start with.
But again, it’s all about what you can afford and stomach spending. If money was not an issue, I’d probably have 20K in gear. But I’d rather spend that on a vacation, so I get the best that I can justify. I went with Rotel because I felt that they were a reasonably priced, excellent product. I was going to buy NAD, but at the last minute, the vendor pissed me off, so I cancelled the order.
If you’re set on a receiver, then get the best that you can afford. I think that Rotel, NAD and Parasound Classic line would all be excellent choices. Those are the three brands that I narrowed my search down to after countless hours of research. After those three choices, you’re next step up will be double the price. Or, you could go down and wonder if you made the right choice.
Good luck and happy shopping.
