Denon AVR-4800 Owners  

I just ordered my new Denon 4800 (should be here in 3 days)http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/smile.gif I was wondering what 2-channel amp you were using and how you have it configured. The 2-channel amp driving the "EX" speakers or the Front Mains. I am anxious to take the ES/EX feature for a test drive but I want to be careful about my amp selection (last approved upgrade for awhile)

Thanks for the responses thus far....Michael, yes you can power the center and all four surrounds with the 4800 and power the front main channels with an external amp. I was planning on using this type of configuration...although powering the front soundstage with a 3 channel amp is a good thought. I would like to stay around the $600-$700 area for either a 2 or 3 channel amp (I will most certainly have to buy used for that pricepoint)
Any other suggestions/advice?

I was hoping for an unsolicited endorsement of the POA-5200

Mey, it would absolutely benefit you. It is not so much the power rating, the benefit lies in the increased power supply (large torrodial transformer and big caps) Any time you can take stress off the internal amps and power supply in your receiver the result will be cleaner (less distortion) sound. All channels should be calibrated to 75dB so....no the center imaging would not be lost, it should actually sound better especially during loud action passages when most if not all the amps are working hard.
Eventually I will be allowed to purchase a five channel amp and just use the 4800 as a pre/pro. This is why I am agonizing over this decision. I want an affordable 2-3 channel amp now BUT I also am looking down the road and don't want to have to replace it when I go 100% separate amplification.

Well my 4800 arrived today.....dented and beat all to hellhttp://www.avsforum.com/ubb/mad.gif And of course this being Memorial Day weekend the place where I purchased it is closed. I really hate FedEx right now, all they had to do was take a little care and I would have had a wonderful holiday weekend. I hooked it up in the hopes that I could at least listen to it although I can't stand to look at it. Everything works - and it sounds great when there is alot of action on the screen, when the passage goes quiet there is an annoying sporadic hiss/crackle. Even though it is built like a tank it evidently is not indestructible. I mean c'mon it looks like someone hurled it off the back of a big rig...have a little respect for peoples property.

Mey, it is a small local place here in Charlotte, NC....They don't usually carry deep inventory so they often drop ship. They are still closed so I have not heard anything as of yet, but I do expect a call first thing tomorrow morning. I will not mention thier name yet until I know how they plan to resolve this, however they have been good to deal with in the past and I'm sure they will do the right thing. I was just frustrated...6pm Friday before a holiday, I was looking at a long weekend without the use of my system....I'm over it nowhttp://www.avsforum.com/ubb/smile.gif
Note to self: Do not sell old gear before new gear arrives in good condition.