When I'm not derailing threads (stay thisty, my friends), I usually sit on the sidelines on big audio debates such as this because there's always more informed people to defer to. I'm happy to pop some corn and read what the elders have to say.

That said, I will offer that I did not notice a significant difference between my Outlaw Audio 990/7125 preamp/amp combo, which I bought for $2000 in 2006 and the Onkyo 370 receiver that I bought for around $500 last year.

Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica.