There is no such thing as a "great receiver" as far as i'm concerned. Asking for one that does multi-channel HT makes that even more of a contradiction in terms. When you factor in that you have somewhat lower impedance speakers that are of relatively low sensitivity, you're decision is pretty much made for you IF quality truly does matter.
Having said that, i would put a little more money into the amplifier(s) than i would the Pre / Pro. With all of the various formats that keep changing, investing in a high dollar Pre / Pro will SURELY end up hurting you in the long run. Just take a look at all of the Dolby Pro Logic and even AC-3 gear that is not DTS compatible up for sale and you'll have a good idea as to why i say what i do. To really drive the point home, just try asking the folks that invested in "high tech" and "upgradable" products like the $10K Proceed HT processors. They can't give the stuff away for $2K nowadays. Sean
>
PS... While i'm kind of leary about the stuff myself, you might want to look into the Outlaw gear. It seems to be suited for folks in your position. As such, you might end up liking it / find it perfectly suited for what you want out of a system. Another alternative might be the newer Carver ( aka Sunfire ) HT receivers. As mentioned above though, i have my doubts about any receiver.
Having said that, i would put a little more money into the amplifier(s) than i would the Pre / Pro. With all of the various formats that keep changing, investing in a high dollar Pre / Pro will SURELY end up hurting you in the long run. Just take a look at all of the Dolby Pro Logic and even AC-3 gear that is not DTS compatible up for sale and you'll have a good idea as to why i say what i do. To really drive the point home, just try asking the folks that invested in "high tech" and "upgradable" products like the $10K Proceed HT processors. They can't give the stuff away for $2K nowadays. Sean
>
PS... While i'm kind of leary about the stuff myself, you might want to look into the Outlaw gear. It seems to be suited for folks in your position. As such, you might end up liking it / find it perfectly suited for what you want out of a system. Another alternative might be the newer Carver ( aka Sunfire ) HT receivers. As mentioned above though, i have my doubts about any receiver.