Interestingly enough, Sony has not made separates for almost 20 years. They only produce today what there's a mass market for. That's to say, seems the preamp/power amp market is relatively small. Maybe, the benefits of separates is lost in today's market. This certainly makes separates less affordable. I often wonder if my Sony TA-E9000ES goes south, what I'd buy to replace it. What I've seen out there so far, which is compelling, I can not afford.