I've pretty much decided to try the preamp. That NAD c565 is more than I wanted to spend but looks like a cool unit. Emotiva won't admit comparing the ERC to any other units and no one seems to have great things to say about sound, only how good it looks or heavy it is. I can get my hands on a NAD, maybe I'll start there and if I'm not happy with what I hear then bring the ERC in for a spin. It would also be cool to have both Emo pieces to see what synergy there might be.