I've auditioned the B&K Ref 20 as well as the B&K 3090 preamps. the 3090 wasn't as good as my Conrad-Johnson PV10A preamp with a Wadia 12 DAC for 2 channel music, so I didn't returned it. the Ref 20, however, seemed about equal, plus all the additional inputs, S-VHS switching, and DD/DTS processing makes it a good buy, IMHO. never heard the new Parasound, but the conversion of all analog to digital makes me wonder about it's 2 channel analog abilities. as for amps, I've tried the Parasound 2200II, now discontinued, 225wpc model. great amp. big, heavy, and plenty of power. I suppose subwoofers also count as separates, so I vote for the Def Tech PF15TL, which I've owed for a year now. 15" woofer + 325 watt amp for ~$700 = great bargain.
