I would make your source your number one concern. All others come secondary in my opinion. I don't know much about the pioneer, but you might want to compare the sound of the pioneer to say a Rega Planet CD player which can be bought used for about 500.00. I have a friend who bought the planet and it was a big improvement over Rotel 855. The Planet is on the laid back side which I would think might match well with an integrated solid state receiver.
What to do next???
My system consists of a Marantz Sr-8000 reciever, Pioneer DV-05 DVD player (also used for CD playback), and MB Quart QL S 1030 speakers with DH Labs T-14 bi wired cables and BL-1 interconnects. I am on a reasonable budget and am wondering what the best course of action is for the next level of listening quality and enjoyment. A new dedicated CD player? I'm looking to spend about $500 bucks. By the way, should I use the DAC in the DV-05 or the Marantz? Opinions? Scott