Look for a lower powered unit that has the features that you want, along with preamp level out's. You can then run the Carver for your mains and the remaining channels for your center and surrounds. This will minimize your expenditures while taking a huge load off of the power supply of the receiver. In doing so, the available wattage to the remaining channels will increase in equal measure, allowing better performance all the way around. If & when you choose to upgrade into separate components, you won't be out nearly as much money had you went for a larger, more powerful receiver.
As a side note, i recently purchased a "mint condition" $1200 Pre / Pro / Tuner with a phono section, Dolby Digital and DTS in the box for $250 here on Agon as a gift for someone. On top of getting everything that originally came with the unit, the seller also included an upgraded universal remote control that retailed for appr $150. As such, you might want to look into something like this for now, as it will allow even better potential performance than the RX & separate 2 ch amp. The reason for this? The sagging power supply in the receiver that feeds the amplifier section may also feed all of the other circuitry within the preamp / processor. The end result would be a more stable performing Pre / Pro due to completely isolating that circuitry from the demands of any / all power amplification. Sean
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