i have the system set up for almost 3 weeks now.. it sounds great. however, I need to crank up my receiver volume to -15db to get a "kick" out of the audio.

is this ok for the receiver to run long term at 90% of the volume like this?..

should i get an external amp? i've seen a lot of good review on emotiva xpa-5. Can i use my receiver only for the 2 rear speakers and use an external amp (ie. emotiva xpa-5) for the remaining 5 speakers?

thanks in advance for your feedback.. I am still a newbie in this area.

HHP