Is it a Merger or Bust?

Artemus 5, well there you are. You're both happy That's a win, and I'm glad you are happy. 

That's all that matters.

With the right room, and the right equipment, you can have an excellent stereo system, and a good sounding multi-channel system. It takes a lot of equipment to do it right, though.

I use a separate preamp for stereo, and a separate two channel power amp. My 2 channel line source feeds into my preamp-processor, the processor feeds into the 2 channel preamp. I can listen to very good analog through the two channel system, or digital, or multi-channel music also sounds great, with just enough subwoofering to make it sound right in my large listening room.

It may be more than most are willing to do, but I enjoy it greatly. 

Apart from conversation, it really doesn't matter what any of us do, as long as we are happy with the results. As I said in my previous statement, I never enjoyed hearing my 2 channel sound  through a preprocessor, It wasn't until I heard it through the Arcam AV 9, and was very surprised how damned good it sounded.

Like I've said, I have two complete systems rolled into one. When I listen to vinyl, it's all tube, all two channel. When I listen to CDs, I can, and do, feed it into my pre-pro, and really enjoy it that way. I enjoy doing things that please me, doesn't cost any of you anything, so just let an old man enjoy himself, would you?.