Bi-amp through receiver vs pre out to 2 channel for fronts

If you’d really like the best sound possible in 2-channel, your best bet is to completely remove your AVR from the signal chain when listening in stereo. Neither the Pioneer’s amp section nor, just as importantly, its preamp section are doing you any favors in 2-channel sound quality. The easiest way to do this is to buy a dedicated integrated stereo amplifier. This way you can completely remove the AVR for more critical stereo listening literally with the push of one button if the integrated amp has a HT pass through feature, but you can continue to use your AVR for multichannel preocessing and to power your center and surround speakers. Believe it or not, you simply hook the AVR’s front L/R preamp outs to the HT pass through input on the integrated and hook the speaker outs from the integrated to your front L/R speakers, and you’re done. It’s literally that easy.

Not sure what you were prepared to spend on a new amp, but for around $1500 you could get a Hegel H160 or an Ayre AX7e available here now, both of which offer HT bypass and will significantly outperform your AVR for stereo listening. Bypassing your AVR completely in favor of either of these integrateds will likely far outweigh any benefits of just replacing the amp to bi-amp. You can probably buy some used shotgun biwire speaker cables down the road with this setup and get a good portion of biamping anyway. Just my $0.02, and best of luck.

forget biamping unless you have 2 exactly the same amps....your connection is much too fraught with "issues"

That’s the recommendation I needed Soix, perfect! Thanks! 

Thanks Stringreen for allowing me to let go that I always have to bi amp. 

Totally agree String.  yes, a very good single amp is best.  If folks want a wonderful integrated that sounds much bigger and better than it's cost, look at the Belles line.  They are making some of the best sounding amps in their respective price ranges.  Heard some at Audio Connection in NJ as Johnny was raving to a few of us about them.  To me, they sound like the old Brown (BEL) Lab amps of years ago in that they actually do outperform their competition in so many important areas.  

I owned that AX7e and now have the AX5/20.  Teh Belles beats the 7e by a country mile and the integrated is only 1800 or so I think and it has much more power and drive than the 7e.  To MY ears, it is just so much better at under 2k that I have all my buddies looking into it.  JMHO adn good luck

Thank you, I’ll look into it. Now, if I can’t afford an integrated amp right now, what are thoughts on buying an amp first to run from my Elite receiver, and then buying a pre amp with HT passthrough in the future to stick between them? I’m guessing it’s probably better to wait and save $1800, and go for the integrated huh?