Cheap receiver + amp vs Expensive receiver

Man, given your priorities (which are identical to mine by the way) I'd buy one of the brands you mentioned in the $500 range with the audyssey room correction built in and be done with it. Take the grand you save and put it into your 2-channel rig and/or more music. I seriously doubt inserting a $1000 amp into your HT system in the way you propose will make that big of a difference in how much you enjoy movies (I'm assuming you're currently using a sub, but if you're not THAT is where the additional money would be best spent rather than on an amp). As always, I could be wrong.

Can I make a comment on "prosumer". I totally disagree. Consumer gear like HK gives you as many features as possible for the buck. Pro gear like QSC gives you a bulletproof design and reliability for the buck. Both have made huge compromises to get where they are. That's where high end audio fits in. An Anthem unit will have lots of feature and should have great reliability with the best technology they can reasonably put in the gear. The Anthem will have better quality parts, better remote controls, better DAC's and Video processing and so on...over the HK. An Anthem amp will keep up with the volume level of a QSC (to a certain extent) but with much lower distortion levels and way better imaging.

It looks like a 2nd hand Onkyo Integra pre/pro + 2nd hand 5 channels amp will be much better a brand new $2000 receiver!

Kschiu - with the Integra pre/pro and a 5 channel amp, how would you use the new amp for HT and the tube amp for 2 channel? Usually with this type of hybrid system, you use a HT bypass solution, but that is a lot harder with a tube amp?Swapping speaker cables can be a pain.

I agree that the pre/pro + amp is the way to go. Note that a receiver with pre-outs can also be used as a pre-pro - depending on the features you want and the price.

DTC,

If I don't want to use the tube amps for HT, then unfortunately swapping speaker cables is the only option for now unless I buy another pair of monitors just for HT. Wife wouldn't want to see 6 speakers in front of us.