Help me with a digital Font end

Any interest in SACD? Might get a used 777 in your range, or think about a new multi-channel player since you have an integrated system. I don't think you'll improve the 760 much for 1-1.5k for a pre/pro, but could with a separate 2-ch pre integrated with the 760. Might do better dropping down (in price) to the new Outlaw 950 for $900, and put the rest in the front end or 2-ch pre.

Since Soix brought it up, Here's another question I have. Is the music capabilities of a fairly good pre/proc up to par with the sonic capabilitirs of a straight pre-amp? Does a Lexicon DC-2 equal an Adcom GFP-750 in music?

In answer to your question...NO. I had the opportunity to compare a DC-1 with a couple other pre/pros that I would not put in the same league sonically as the GFP-750, and the DC-1 unanymously came in dead last even in that comparison(it was a blind test by the way). If you're serious about 2-channel do not get the DC(does anyone know if the DC-2 digitizes all analog inputs like the DC-1?).

Basically with a pre/pro you're sending a very delicate, low-level signal through an electronic obstacle course that is very difficult to shield the signal from(I'm not sure but my guess is that in general the power supplies are better and less strained in a good stereo preamp than in a pre/pro, which if true would also make a big difference in performance). There are some pre/pros in the $6k realm I've heard that do a respectable job for stereo listening, but nothing in your price range is going to come close to the performance of a preamp at the level of the GFP-750, at least in my experience. In my opinion(again, for what it's worth) the preamp is too crucial to the performance of a system to make a compromise here. If you can accomodate another box in your system I strongly recommend you at least try a good stereo preamp with an HT pass-through in your system. Best of luck.

Tim

I DEFINATELY do NOT want to compromise 2 ch. performance so there is absolutely room for another box in my system. I haven't really been exposed to this way of going about it, but it seems to be an excellent way to go (pre/proc. and a seperate 2 channel pre-amp) Do I need to look for something in particular when shopping for the stereo pre? I'm assuming I need something called HT pass-through. Anything else to look for? Any problems with going this route? What are good pre-amps to look for with this feature?
My cdp has already been sold so I won't be able to use it as a transport; I therefore still need a new one. Anyone know of any really good synergies out there between:
X-cdp, X-pre-amp(with HT pass-through) and my Citation amps?

Thanks,

Steve

Steve,
ANY pre-amp will work ... the HT pass-thru or processor input just makes it more convenient (you don't have to return the preamp volume setting to the "reference/calibrated" setting). If music is 90% of the use, this may not be a big deal for you, and will keep the field wide-open.