PreAmp Versus Receiver

[bobsticks]

...fancy finding you characters in the same place. Quick question on topic, what would be some specific models I should test drive. I am woefully uninformed about preamps.
The application would include both two-channel and surround, hi-rez formats, and everything but the kitchen sink. Ultimately, I want to be looking at 5.1 with Martin Logans all the way around.HT would be icing on the cake, but I'm mostly concerned with multi-channel playback without two-channel compromise.
Further, I suppose I should ask one of those difficult questions--as difficult as it is to put into words, what will I gain musically by moving up the pre/pro foodchain?

Thanks

[N. Abstentia]

...fancy finding you characters in the same place. Quick question on topic, what would be some specific models I should test drive. I am woefully uninformed about preamps.
Further, I suppose I should ask one of those difficult questions--as difficult as it is to put into words, what will I gain musically by moving up the pre/pro foodchain?

Thanks

Start with the Outlaw 990 and move your way up. The 990 is priced at $1100 which I personally feel is where a mid/high end pre/pro should be priced. I looked into $3000 units from Anthem, Arcam, Adcom, (and other companies that didn't start with A) and kept going back to the Outlaw because the others lacked features that I needed.

As far as what you will gain..that's hard to explain in words. You'll obviously gain higher quality components, better features, and overall better build quality but of course that does not mean better sound. Compared to my Onkyo (which was NO slouch) the Outlaw gave me better dynamics and 'more articulate' sound. Music just breathed a little more. I had outgrown my receiver so all this was a bonus as I would have kept the Outlaw even if it sounded the same. They give you a 30 day trial.