need new seperates on a budget

Thanks all for the responses.
I am thinking of seperates because I don't like having to replace an expensive receiver and would be able to cut the cost in half by having seperates. I would also like to be able to upgrade the pre/pro portion seperatly in the future.
Which of the amplifiers I have listed would be better than the others or something else in the $1000 used range.
I am intrigued by the Emotiva brand but afraid of the class D amps.
I can't use an older pre/pro because I have only HDMI inputs.
I am thinking of a inexpensive receiver as a pre/pro as a stop gap measure used as a pre only.

Goulsonc

The Emotiva line of amps aren't class D. They are Class AB. I don't remember the exact draw of my UPA-7 but it isn't that much.

How about the Onkyo PR-SC886 or Onkyo PR-SC885 pre/pros? Sometimes you can find those for under $800/each and then you can get different multi channel amp.

I'd grab a Onkyo PR-SC886 or 885 with a Emotiva XPA 5 amp.

The Emotiva preamp processor lists at around $699. Couple that with the Emotiva 5-channel powerhouse XPA-5 at $899 and at $1,600 you have a killer combo. It will certainly be a lot better than any $2,000 receiver, particularly because the power envelope will be far more powerful.

Greg

I have a slightly different suggestion. Instead of shooting for a pre/pro and a 5-channel amp with the intention of spending about the same on each, I would go with a good but inexpensive mass-market AVR (Onkyo, Denon, etc) with preouts and spend the bulk of your money on the amp. That will allow you to get a nice Rotel, Sherbourn, ATI, etc amp for $1000+ and still be in budget. Should you wish to upgrade at some point in the future, then simply swap out the AVR for a dedicated pre/pro, like an Anthem or Integra.

Just a thought.

Michael