Money is often a consideration in the decisions we make and so it was with this. Being relatively new to seeking the upper end in music I felt that small steps made better sense to me and went with a much cheaper amp than I had originally considered. The improvement was huge with my system and I am extremely pleased with the outcome. Cd's we have listened to for years came alive at all sound levels. Nuances that we had never heard or felt were clear and precise. My conclusion is that an amp upgrade even using a ht receiver as the pre is worthwhile in most systems. I had believed for years that speakers were the secret and they would always be the best bang for initial upgrade. Was I ever wrong. Having demoed the B&W Matrix 805's and been very disappointed I was unsure if anything would achieve the results I had hoped for. The amp achieved my goals and even went beyond. A clarity and feel of the music is present. Better recordings have become an experience. Anyway, just wanted to thank the people who responded to my questions and gave the encouragement that I needed.
Steve