Which Amp? Onkyo, Emotiva, Marantz, etc.

Well, I"d stay away from their processors. Also better to get speakers from a company that specializes in them only.

Thank you all for providing your valuable responses. I built on yours & started digging further. Read tonnes & tonnes of reviews & forum discussions.

First of all, Receiver route is definitely out. I do know that I don't need very High Power. But I anticipate SQ to go up too in high-end Amps.

So, here are the final Amp contenders with my preferences. Let me know if I am going off (I could be after burying myself in my Laptop for the last 3 days) :)
1.) Parasound A 51
1.) Emotiva XPR-5
2.) ATI 2005
2.) Outlaw 7500 or 755
2.) Parasound 5250 or 5125
2.) Theta Digital Intrepid
3.) Anthem MCA-50

Now, it all boils down to what I can get in my budget & in a decent condition.

Buy American...my two cents.

Hey guys! I finally bought Parasound Halo A 51 from AudioGon for $2100. Visually there are a few blemishes & it trips-off in Auto 12V setting. My first impression is that it's very heavy (95 lbs) & it gets really hot fast.

Anyway, currently listening to various types of music (stereo, XLR) & movies (5.1, RCA) & comparing notes. In a few scenes, I did hear the background music that I never heard/noticed before but nothing significant while listening to music in stereo. In defense of my previous Kenwood VR-4090 receiver (MSRP 1200/ Used 450) which I was never so attached with, I must admit that though it's 1/4th the price of A51 (MSRP 4500/ Used 2100) it was no slouch in terms of SQ & imaging.

It's almost 24 hrs since I first plugged in. Still exploring & justifying whether my purchase was worth 4 times. Will keep you posted.