Best AV receiver to use as an AV pre amp

I've been using an Anthem MRX300 as a pre/pro for the last year. I've been happy with it, but I'm not super picky. For the main outs, everything is digitalized so room correction can be applied, so if you want a true direct pass-through, you have to use the second zone outputs. For $1k, I think I made a good choice.

Snofun3, maybe you are the one who should read the OP's original request. Very first sentence. I have cut and pasted as follows:

"I want to get another AV receiver, but I want one that has a really good pre section in it so I can also use it well for 2 channel music."

His exact words; not ours. This is why most of us are talking about 2 channel and how to improve his listening.
Hope this helps and best regards.

The new series of NAD or not the best in sound anymore. I bought in 2008 the whole series what they had to offer were I worked at that moment. It was the wordt thing I ever did in audio. It lost all the battles with Primare, cambrigde and arcam. I was dissapointed in the harsh sound, poor focus and many amp's, surround amp's and cd player were broke within a few weeks. There was no brand with so many problems. I always give clients a few different brand to listen at. Nad was by far the worst brand we had. Wenn I did a comparisson witht the people of NAD they did not know what to say. I said: the peolple of NAD have to work harder to compeet again.

"I want to get another AV receiver, but I want one that has a really good pre section in it so I can also use it well for 2 channel music."

Yes..I "want to get another AV rceiver with a good pre section"....so it also works "well for 2 channel music" Sorry for the confusion, but that seems pretty straight up. "another AV receiver".
I also mentioned twice that a separate 2 channel setup/preamp etc is not an option.

Sorry folks, but I though I was pretty clear. Sorry if somehow I wasn't. I do appreciate all of the help and suggestions though.

Dallyd31 - do you really understand that you can have a single 'setup' that does both HT and 2-channel?

This type of configuration does NOT mean having seperate rooms or separate speakers - it means a single 'setup' that does BOTH multi-channel music and 2-channel music with your existing AVR and speakers. It means adding a single component in your CURRENT system - it does NOT mean another 'setup'.