Warren get the best pre that you can afford. I always put the most $ into the control amp (the pre) which if compromised will limit all of your sources to the capabilities of the marginal pre, and if sending a compromised signal onto the amps you will never realize the quality that you paid for. Make the preamp your best piece; this is a common philosophy.
What affects sound quality - preamp or amplifier?
If you run a separate 5 channel amplifier in conjunction with an A/V receiver using the receiver only for it's preamp section which will have the greatest effect on the quality of the music heard? The amplifier or the preamp? For example I am considering using a Marantz SR 7200 receiver only for it's preamp capabilities and hooking it to either a Rotel or Acurus 5 channel amp. Thanks.