I have been searching for a replacement stereo for some time so I thought I'd do a follow up on this thread.
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/m/572246/0/?srch=Douglas+R.+Allen+pioneer#msg_572246I found what I was looking for in this.
http://www.harmankardon.com/EN-US/Products/Pages/ProductDetails.aspx?PID=HK%203490The Harman kardon hk 3490 gives me 150 watts at 4 ohms to my Magneplanar speakers. It has digital and coaxial inputs. (PCM 44.1k with a pair of AKM PCM DAC's) With the pre amp in/outs jacks I was able to still use my BBE DS24 crossover.
The digital converters are very good and gave my low cost Sony CD player new life.
Although I am not a A/V type and don't go for the surround sound type setups it does have the Dolby® Virtual Speaker technology for a more open sound for movies.
I looked for a long time for a basic Stereo Receiver without that cheep feel or sound with enough inputs and outputs to do the job. Although alot of amps out there sound the same it is the preamp section that gives most units their sound quality. The 3490 has a good preamp section.
4-5 page review here.
http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/receivers/hk-3490/hk-3490-introductionIf your looking for a basic stereo receiver with a little more power and features than the standard toys out there give this one a listen. Its a sleeper. At the price Amazon has right now for the receiver its hard to pass it up.
Douglas R. Allen