Best 5.1 McIntosh separates

After reading various threads, I'm no longer hell bent on 5.1. Stereo seems like the way to go.

So considering the above price point, any advice on make / model?

Ho much of a difference a dedicated Tube Pre-Pro will make compared to using the Pre Outs from SS Kenwood VR-4090 receiver?

Thanks for your time!

I can't recommend a home theater with tube amps. Tubes take time to come up to operating condition. A theater needs instant on. You don't want to miss your sound if you dash for a show. Also five (5) tube amps will get toasty in most rooms. If you run a fan to cool the room you increase your noise to sound and lose quality.

Tube amps also diminish in power and performance with time played. All 5 amps might have different output after a years use. That will definitely affect sound track balance.

Lastly, you will not get that fabulous SLAM factor with tubes that you get with solid state. Tubes just are not the right tool for the job in my opinion. How do I know this? I did a theater with a McIntosh MX136, MVP861, and five (5) MC275 tube amps in mono. Looked cool, was hotter than hell, and sounded flat!

Have fun!

Hey guys! I took all your advice & finally ended up buying Parasound Halo A51 from AudioGon for $2100. I also upgraded to Oppo BDP-105, which servers as a PrePro.

After listening to various types of music (stereo, XLR) & movies (2 XLR + 3 RCA), I must state that though I did hear background music that I'd not heard/noticed before, nothing significant while listening to music in stereo.

Am I missing something? Do you think adding a Sub or a dedicated PrePro will help? Any recommendations?

Thank you!