Quote Originally Posted by JonW
OK, so if I have the CD plugged into both the receiver and amp, that amp has to be an integrated amp- so it has the plugs for this. I think I've got it now. And it would be nice to have a remote volume control on the integrated amp for stereo listening (I know they do exist for some).

Another question about this setup: When using the receiver for movies, I could also have the pre outs of the receiver go to the integrated amp. So I am using the integrated amp for both movies and music, correct?
Yes, you could; remember that the receiver pre-outs will include some of the receiver's processing and it's volume control, but this isn't a prohibitive problem. You would use the receiver's volume control for the over-all volume control, however you would have to pre-adjust the integrate's volume control so your main speaker's volume matches your surrounds. Since very few integrates have separate input volume levels for each source input, you would have to do this matching whenever you watched movies or TV.

But wait! Let's everyting in perspective: Rather than a separate integrated amp, why not just just get a higher-quality, more powerful A/V receiver and be done with it? Bear in mind, to exceed the quality of a better receiver, you'll be paying $2000+ for the integrated.