Pre-Amp Suggestions

I’d look for a used Anthem AVM 50 that should be around your price range and is a cut above the mass market stuff. Best of luck. 

I will second the Arcam. Bought a used one for my dad paired it with Vandersteen speakers. Sounds great and he loves it. Been perfectly reliable also.

Both my universal DVD player and my pre-pro went bad close together in time. I couldn't afford new, so I found an Arcam DV 139 player, and an Arcam AV 9 pre-pro for around $700 each. They have been doing a stellar job for months now, and are on a par sound-wise with the Primare SP 31 pre-pro and Esoteric DV 60 they replaced. They are of course used, but in pristine condition.

Look around, I'm sure you'll find something that works for you.

Regards,
Dan  

millercarbon likes to push people away from HT systems and directly into 2-channel systems because of his belief that HT is crappy.  He does have an element of truth since you can get a much better sounding 2-channel system for the same amount of money, but you lose the center and surround channels.  On a 2-channel system, the lack of a center channel will actually reduce the clarity and directionality of dialog - it actually becomes harder to hear movie dialog on a 2-channel system.  Losing surround speakers will give you more of a mono sound that is not as open.

If you're looking for an HT preamp/processor that accepts digital and HDMI inputs and processes the audio, the Outlaw 976 for $929 is pretty much the cheapest I would recommend for "new".  It also supports 4K HDR.

There's a used Integra DRC-R1.1 for $1250 on audiogon that supports everything, but it may be above your budget.

If your looking for a 7 channel analog preamp, look for a Parasound P7 on ebay.

$1000 is not going to buy you a lot.  If you don't need HDMI at all, there is a McIntosh MX132 on audiogon for $990.

Budget.......let's say under $1000

I'm not following what you mean about use this as an opportunity to go stereo.  This system is almost strictly for Movies/TV.  I have a Mac system for stereo needs.

What's your budget?

Yes. Use this as an opportunity to go stereo. Compare quality and price. Then if you still want to stick with multi-channel at least you know just how much you're missing- and how much more you're paying for the privilege of having worse sound.