Better buy: old flagship or new tier 2 AVR

I would say buy the old flagship if you are planning to have it drive the Aeriuses. Just be aware you will need a good power amp down the road if you are keeping the MLs. Although a new tier 2 has all the new processing modes, you definitely need power to make the MLs sound their best.

I have ML Aeriuses (non-i) for my fronts and drove them for a little while with my Yamaha RX-V1. Good sound, but not great, and the quality of the bass was sub-optimal. Didn't really like listening for long periods of time. I do about 85% music, only 15% movies.

Bought a Parasound 1205A when funds allowed, even before I filled in the rest of the HT system. The V1 is now just a preamp. I now have Magnepan MMG Ws for rears and the MMG C center. Planar sound on a small budget, and they integrate well together. All of these speakers love high current amps, and the Parasound has done well for movies.

Best of luck in your search!

Thanks for the suggestions, I bit the bullet and bought the AVR202. Adding an amp to drive the front channels is something I can explore later, budget permitting. Now I can spend the next few days pining over the decision waiting for it to arrive.

A4or3s, i'm interested in your review of integrating a MMG Center. How well do they integrate with your Aerius'? I am ditching my Athena center and going Phantom until I can get a well matched center.

I haven't seen posts of too many people integrating Maggies and ML. ML centers are pricey and get snapped up pretty quick when on the used market.

Regarding your integration question, I have to start by saying I don't have much of a basis for comparison, and I'm not a huge movie buff. What I can tell you is that the MMG C was basically plug and play. The soundstage across the front is pretty seamless. When you have action that pans across the front 3 speakers, I don't really detect much of a change in the quality of sound. Concert DVDs retain much of the characteristic airiness for the mids and highs that planars are known for.

I have a small room, 18x12x9, and have the system along one of the long walls, actually a staircase wall. The size and weight of typical ML centers would have made it difficult to place. The MMG C is sized just right to span my audio rack. Not to mention, the MLs start at twice the price of the MMG C. The Ws are no slouches either. I have them mounted on the wall behind the couch, and swing them out when in use.

I use a Quad L sub to fill out the deep end, and have not had trouble getting it to integrate with the MLs. The remote is very convenient for tweaking settings from your chair, and you can set up presets for music and movies separately.

Congratulations with your purchase, and happy new year!