Frank, long time no see; good to hear from you again reporting from the center of academic excellence. Welcome back!
The comment I'd have would be that a "dedicated two channel setup"(presumably for music primarily)isn't in my view the way to go. My own listening is probably about 99% music and I never listen to two-channel source material using only front speakers. Extracting the surround ambience(using DPLII,etc.)that was picked up by the microphones and mixed into the front channels(there was no place else to put it)and sending it to the surrounds where it belongs significantly increases the realism and enjoyment of listening to great music.
I'd suggest providing for QS surrounds and using one of the Onkyo or Denon HT receivers which are available at very reasonable prices as factory refurbs.
