Opinions Please?

IMO, the Proceed AVP2+6 is a great home theatre pre/pro
that doesn't scrimp on two channel sound. Mark Levinson
has announced that it will be folding Proceed into Levinson, but they will continue to serve the AVP.

For your amps, if you can, I recommend avoiding the 5
channel theatre amps. If possible, split your amps.
Use a high quality two channel amp for your front left
and right and a three channel amp for your center and surrounds. This, again, will preserve the quality of
your two channel sound. Several companies make two and
three channel amps that you could mix and match to fit
your budget.

Sorry about that duplication -- I thought I had only
posted the second one. Argh!

Rsbeck,

Any thoughts about mixing and matching power amps from different companies? Say a Plinius SA250Mk4 for L/R and a Proceed HP3? (think that's the model #) for Center and Rears? Thanks.

Stick with the same amps and speakers if possible. Different models of amps vary as much as speakers of the same make. If you can't match everything exactly then at least the same manufacture might have a similar signature sound.

Sbachman -

Recently, I had a chance to audition the Plinius. Really
nice amp. I can't claim to know the effects of matching
the Plinius with Proceed. But, if you are primarily concerned with your two channel sound, maybe you
should start with the two channel amp and then try to
find a three channel amp that will match up. Levinson
also makes two and three channel amps. Even if you
buy a two and three channel Proceed amp, I believe you'll get better two channel sound that way than buying a 5 channel amp. I believe Bryston also makes two
and three channel amps. So, if you are concerned
with matching -- staying with the same manufacturer
or "family" [Levinson and Proceed] might simplify the process. Or, how about a Plinius SA-250 for your
front left and right, a SA-102 for the surrounds and
another SA-102, bridged, for the Center? That'd be
a nice Plinius system.