My experience: I first attempted to consolidate and went for a Marantz 7-Channel amp in order to "do it all". My main LR speakers sounded, well, not so good. I repurposed the Marantz for all 7-channels to be used in a 9.1 system (Dolby Atmos overhead speakers plus center, sides, and rears) and bought BAT (Balanced Audio Technology) electronics for my main preamp and power amp. The BAT preamp allows you to set a source input as "fixed" whereby I can then use the Marantz pre/processor as the main controller for HT and the RL information passes through the BAT preamp to the BAT power amp. Voila, I have two systems that serve both of my needs. A great sounding HT system and then a superior, stand alone 2-channel system for playing vinyl. No matter how you end up with your design, I can't recommend using a multi-channel amp for your main RL speakers. Nowhere near the control or sound quality that a dedicated 2-channel amp will provide for 2-channel music sessions. Krell is a fantastic product, especially if it is from the D'Agostino design days. Use that for your main RL speakers and a multi-channel amp for everything else. My two cents on the question.
Parasound vs. Krell for 2 channel
Hey there - primarily a HT guy here. lately I have been listening to much more music though. I got JTR speakers but I love their sound/fullness for music. I have been running a Krell Chorus 5200 for 3 years. Love it, but recently added side surrounds. Grabbed a stereo D-Sonic to cover me...and tried it for my LR. I personally thought it felt a little thin/weaker, so I decided to switch back to the Krell for LR. So, I'm wondering if I should just keep it as is, or try to improve my 2 channel a bit. Would a Parasound A21+ sound "better" than the Krell? I have heard the Parasound has great control of bass response in mains, and that many people love their sound. I heard one once w/ Martin Logans and loved it. I also wonder if having 5 channels in the same box isn't as effective. I thought about going Jc1 mono blocks, but I don't have the space. Sorry this was so Long winded, LOL. But to all you out there smarter than me - should I check out a Parasound or just stick w/ Krell? thanks!