Hi Z,
Since the soapbox is free at the moment, I'll chime in a couple of my very own opinions, totally free of charge! ; )
First, forget about the receivers. Time waster.
Pre/pros are all a bit pricey, as you've noticed. You pay for them to develop or license software - these things are NOT simple, elegant 2-channel components - quite a bit of work goes into them. Lots of complexity, lots of marketing, lots of brand identity wrapped up into flagship processors - they almost never come cheap.
I agree wholeheartedly with your observation about bang for the buck with seperates, especially at a lower price range. I've found many entry-level integrateds (not even to mention receivers) to be grossly overpriced, underpowered, and oftentimes terrible sounding.
60w of pure Bryston power is still 60w. They don't use any different watts than Conrad Johnson, B&K, McCormack, or alot of other gutsy amps out there. 60w of SS power just isn't enough, unless it's a class-A circuit design, which it's not (most are AB - whip out your circuit design manual or look up the topic on the web for more info). I suggest 150w or above for your mains. The speakers you have are above average in sensitivity, but not enough that you can get away with markedly lower power amps. Also important is the impedance curve of the speakers and your listening material. If you have a pair of speaks that hits 1.8 ohms at 50 HZ and you listen to a lot of techno, your amp better have some lead in it. More power also equals more "control" over the speakers, and usually a more dynamic and fuller sound. Of course, some manufacturer's amps differ in other ways as the wattage increases, so it's important to listen to them all if you can.
Depending on how important the latest "features" are to you (to me, they hardly matter), you may find an interim option of buying a good SS amp and a slightly older preamp/processor (even of dolby prologic vintage - mid 90's) a good first step. Adcom and Lexicon make some very decent pre/pros that you can get cheap used to hold you over until you settle on a long-term processor. These will handle all A/V inputs, video switching, surround sound level adjustments etc, just not have all the latest codecs.
I agree with Unsound about surround in general. Surround sound is *really* tough to get right. Just putting a couple speakers here and a couple speakers there doesn't begin to address the subject. The room itself is most of the struggle. I've found most 2-channel setups more involving and "room-filling" than the same systems with more than 2 channels driven. I still try to do both, but the truth is in the telling, which is why people like Unsound still cry "aaaarg, me wooound!" when people mention surround. Do yourself a favor and make sure any pre/pro you buy has a 2-channel mode, number one, and that it actually sounds GOOD in stereo. You'll find yourself there in between movies!
Cheers, and best of luck
Mwilson
Since the soapbox is free at the moment, I'll chime in a couple of my very own opinions, totally free of charge! ; )
First, forget about the receivers. Time waster.
Pre/pros are all a bit pricey, as you've noticed. You pay for them to develop or license software - these things are NOT simple, elegant 2-channel components - quite a bit of work goes into them. Lots of complexity, lots of marketing, lots of brand identity wrapped up into flagship processors - they almost never come cheap.
I agree wholeheartedly with your observation about bang for the buck with seperates, especially at a lower price range. I've found many entry-level integrateds (not even to mention receivers) to be grossly overpriced, underpowered, and oftentimes terrible sounding.
60w of pure Bryston power is still 60w. They don't use any different watts than Conrad Johnson, B&K, McCormack, or alot of other gutsy amps out there. 60w of SS power just isn't enough, unless it's a class-A circuit design, which it's not (most are AB - whip out your circuit design manual or look up the topic on the web for more info). I suggest 150w or above for your mains. The speakers you have are above average in sensitivity, but not enough that you can get away with markedly lower power amps. Also important is the impedance curve of the speakers and your listening material. If you have a pair of speaks that hits 1.8 ohms at 50 HZ and you listen to a lot of techno, your amp better have some lead in it. More power also equals more "control" over the speakers, and usually a more dynamic and fuller sound. Of course, some manufacturer's amps differ in other ways as the wattage increases, so it's important to listen to them all if you can.
Depending on how important the latest "features" are to you (to me, they hardly matter), you may find an interim option of buying a good SS amp and a slightly older preamp/processor (even of dolby prologic vintage - mid 90's) a good first step. Adcom and Lexicon make some very decent pre/pros that you can get cheap used to hold you over until you settle on a long-term processor. These will handle all A/V inputs, video switching, surround sound level adjustments etc, just not have all the latest codecs.
I agree with Unsound about surround in general. Surround sound is *really* tough to get right. Just putting a couple speakers here and a couple speakers there doesn't begin to address the subject. The room itself is most of the struggle. I've found most 2-channel setups more involving and "room-filling" than the same systems with more than 2 channels driven. I still try to do both, but the truth is in the telling, which is why people like Unsound still cry "aaaarg, me wooound!" when people mention surround. Do yourself a favor and make sure any pre/pro you buy has a 2-channel mode, number one, and that it actually sounds GOOD in stereo. You'll find yourself there in between movies!
Cheers, and best of luck
Mwilson