Hi Captain,
Did we get any idea of your room dimensions (length, width, height) and how loud you like to listen? My own living room is about 2200 cu. ft (19 x 13 x 9 ft) and when I listen to classical or opera, I sometimes like orchestral peaks to hit 96 dB to 100 dB SPL (C weighting) where I'm sitting. The latter can be between 9 ft and 12 feet back.
Distance is certainly a key factor that is often overlooked when recommending 'receiver only'.
Our main floor listening position is about 14' from the speakers and on occasion, if one is listening to music while in the kitchen, over 22' away, sufficient power is a necessary requirement that cannot be fulfilled by a receiver.
