In reply to:

Thanks John, I think thats the way I'll go



Despite my desire for Emotivas, I find my Denon 3805 with my Outlaw M200s fills the bill for now.

Are separate pre/pros sonically better than receivers? Depends on the listener. Check out the Outlaw and AV123 forums for opinions on their and other equipment. Lots of good things on this forum as well.

IMHO the amps made a difference in the sound of my 80s at all listening levels.

For the price range you gave, there are a lot of options out there. There are lots of options for less money as well.

Go shopping. See what features you like.

Outlaw and AV123 are like Axiom when it comes to 30 day trials. Listening at home on your equipment is a great thing.

Good listening!

Bug