Which device(s) do you prefer and why and/or which ones do you use specifically for home theater surround purposes? It seems as if there is a great deal of hoopla surrounding (no pun intended) this subject lately; are receivers "good enough" to do the home theater system job -- even those in the $500 and up bracket? Should these simply be discarded because of their price tags and "iffy" wattage ratings? My Onkyo TX-SR600 (replaced by no less than two models already) is still ticking and rocking my home theater just fine and it's not part of a separates system.....

Are separate pre/pros and multichannel power amps really necessary or can receivers do "the job" for the most part?