I'd rather have onboard amps and augment with externals, as needed. Gives me more options. Ground loops can be isolated and silenced. No need for balanced connections to do that.
I would be interested in the new Anthem line of AVRs, but only if I can be certain they have improved cooling. My 1120 still irritated the hell out of me when the stupid fan runs. I have even added external cooling fans, but the AVR's fan still runs.
Anthem's room correction (ARC) is no joke. It's what keeps me interested in Anthem. It definitely made my HT sound better, and in a very noticeable way. Much more than blowing an extra 5 grand or so to get a system with separates.
