Hot Setup? Pre/Pro for HT and 2ch

I think it's an overstatement to say that pre/pro's are horrible as 2-channel audio preamps. It is certainly true that most are not optimized for pure audio use, but there are some that work well for both audio and HT. Price, however, may be a concern. Among the pre/pro's that I suggest you explore are (listed by increasing price):
1. Adcom GTP-760
2. Parasound AVP-2500
3. B&K's unit (can't remember the model number)
4. Bryston SP-1
5. Lexicon MC-1 (made by Bryston)

The Bryston SP-1 is one of the few pre/pro's that has dedicated analog circuits built in, so you can run a turntable or other analog source without having its signal go through a digital conversion process.

The B&K model is the Reference 30. I don't use it much for stereo sound, but I can say that it is great for HT. It is very simple to use and have unlimited speakers and listening modes setup. Addittionaly it has THX-EX 7.1 surround format (6.1 channels for 1 or 2 surround back speakers), which is coming in several DVDs movies.

Several others to consider are the Linn AV 5103, Proceed PAV/PDSD combo (skip the AVP if two channel is a big concren), and, if you can afford it, wait for the Mark Levinson HT processor.....at $25,000, it's a little more than I can spend! Make that alot!