Randy,
I have to kindly disagree with you on this one. I too once thought receivers were the be all end all in sound reproduction and that seperates were a waste of money. All until I got to hear my gear through some "seperates" equipment (Pre/Pro and AMP). It's not just watts that matter...it's the voltage gain which produces a lower noise floor and allows better dynamics at both quiet and loud moments in a movie or music track. The end result is a smoother cleaner and more clear sound. I did a blind A/B test using the receiver and then switching to the pre/pro (without knowing which was which) and picked the seperates every time. I used 6 different movies which varied in quality. I had the store rep load each one and not tell me which was active. To my ear there was a very clear difference. Again, this is my ear and my equipment.
I personally am going to buy Outlaw gear as it really gives you the best bang for the buck.
This is all in the ear of the beholder of course....what is nice about Outlaw is you can preview their gear for 30 days and see if you like the sound of it in your room. Let your ears and wallet be the judge.
Good luck!
