How did the issue of whether you might need an amp come up? Did someone else tell you this? Or did you come up with it on your own?
PSB Stratus Golds are decent speakers, and some other A-goner with more experience of them can probably tell you how easy or how difficult they are to drive, and what works well with them.
If you're satisfied with the sound, and someone else is messing with your mind, let it be.
If you yourself have got a hankering for better sound, then the Pioneer is probably the weakest link in the chain, and you have a whole host of possibilities for improvement. One way to go (certainly not the only way), is like I said, if you add, say, a better power amp now (still using the Pioneer as pre-amp), and then, when finances permit, a better pre-amp later (and the eliminate the Pioneer).
If you haven't heard tubes, you should try and do so. Try and find a dealer who stocks Cayin, PrimaLuna, Jolida or some other of the less expensive brands.
Or find a dealer stocking PSB, and see what they drive them with...
PSB Stratus Golds are decent speakers, and some other A-goner with more experience of them can probably tell you how easy or how difficult they are to drive, and what works well with them.
If you're satisfied with the sound, and someone else is messing with your mind, let it be.
If you yourself have got a hankering for better sound, then the Pioneer is probably the weakest link in the chain, and you have a whole host of possibilities for improvement. One way to go (certainly not the only way), is like I said, if you add, say, a better power amp now (still using the Pioneer as pre-amp), and then, when finances permit, a better pre-amp later (and the eliminate the Pioneer).
If you haven't heard tubes, you should try and do so. Try and find a dealer who stocks Cayin, PrimaLuna, Jolida or some other of the less expensive brands.
Or find a dealer stocking PSB, and see what they drive them with...