Need some help with preamp/amps for a new 2 channel system

I am contemplating setting up a totally new 2 channel system in my basement. Right now it has the flotsam and jetsam left over from old systems. A CRT TV and old 2 channel Onkyo receiver my wife brought to our marriage, plus my 1992 era Infinity Reference 4 mini towers with Emit-R tweeters. It even has a VCR and dual tape deck!

I am much more of a home theater guy, but I have a 5.1 system in the family room that gets used for movies/TV 99% of the time and I think I would really enjoy a system better suited for music. But, it will still probably end up being used 50% for TV anyway. That is why I wanted some help. I pure music 2.0 system seems simpler to set up, but working TV in the mix makes it more complicated.

Some background info:

The room is maybe 17x17 feet and 7.5 foot ceilings. Listening position will be about 12 feet from the TV. It is a relatively dead room with carpet, old fashioned ceiling panels that have the little nooks and crannies, and wood paneling. Only a couple tiny windows, not even big enough to crawl out of. So, not many reflective surfaces.

I plan to by a small flat screen, 37 incher (that is all that will fit in my existing cabinet) and a new BD player that I will use for CDs, Blu-Rays, and streaming Internet sources. I will also upgrade my DirecTV box to a new HD DVR when the time comes. No phono. Also, would like to play music from my iPad.

Budget: About $1,000 for the components (amp/preamp or receiver) and about $2,000 for a pair of tower speakers. No sub planned for right now, but I definitely want to be able to add one in the future. Tv/Blu-ray budget is separate.

What I want to do, besides end up with a nice system, is actually start to enjoy this hobby. I spend more and more time reading about all these awesome products, but I have never experienced any of them. So, I want to get my display and components all purchased, then I plan to audition a bunch of ID speakers and maybe some B&M brands also in my house and really try to hear the difference in a bunch of good speakers. Have a little fun with it and end up with a great system. So, I do not know which speaker the amp will be driving.

Possible speakers:
ID brands:
Ascend Sierra Towers
Salk Songtowers
Aperion Versus Grand towers
Gallo Classico CL-3
Tekton Lore or Lore-S

B&M brands near me:
Paradigm Studio 60
Kef Q900
Monitor Audio RX-8
PSB Imagine T towers

Maybe Def Tech, B&W, or Goldenear also.

So, there are some 4 ohm and some 8 ohm possibilities, plus sensitivities from 88 to 98 dB. Therefore, I really want an amp that can handle 4 ohms.

After doing much research over the last couple weeks, I kinda see three options, which is what I want to ask you guys about.

Option 1) Pioneer Elite SC-61 AVR (MSRP $1,100, street price around $900-950) 125W/channel x7.
Benefits of this: The amp is rated for 4 ohms and is a new class D3 amp and seems to be pretty good. AVR amps often are strained in 7 channel playback, but I will only be using 2 channels. I am familiar with AVRs. All hookups will be HDMI, AVR will control sources. I get room correction, bass management if I add a sub, Airplay built in. Can easily go to full surround if I move to a new house.
Negatives: It seems dumb to pay all that for a high end AVR and not use about 90% of its functions. It is way better than my Denon 2309 upstairs! I won't be using all the surround sound decoding, zone 2 or zone 3, all the extra connections on the back I am paying for, or most of the amps built in. Plus, I will likely feel that the sound I am getting is not the best for my money because it is an AVR.

Option 2) Parasound 2100 preamp (MSRP $650, but dealer likely would take some off, so say $600) /Emotiva UPA-200 amp, 125W/channel, (MSRP $349, on sale for $315). So total cost about $915.
Benefits: Much better preamp. 2100 seems well reviewed and liked. Can still add a sub with at least some bass management. Amp is probably better, but I am not sure how much better the entry level Emotiva would sound than the Pioneer. Can keep 2100 in the loop if I go to surround sound due to its bypass connections.
Negatives: Have to run HDMI from each source to TV and analog audio to the 2100. Have to switch preamp source and TV source each time. No room correction. No Airplay.

Option 3) HK 3490 stereo receiver, 120W/channel x2, (MSRP $449, on sale at J&R for $299) / Emotiva XPA-3, 200W/channel x3 (MSRP $699, on sale for $629). Total Cost of $929.

Side note: why the XPA-3 not the XPA-2 for a 2-ch system? First, $100 cheaper. Second, really don't see myself needing all the headroom the XPA-2 provides. Third, most importantly, if I do go to a surround sound setup, I now have a great amp for my future L/C/R speakers instead of just a 2 channel amp.

Benefits: Better preamp for 2-ch music than option 1, but not as good as Option 2. HK seems also very well liked and reviewed. Built in tuner and XM ready. Can still hook up 1 or 2 subs, but no high pass filter (might not be an issue given the towers I am considering). HK has digital audio in and good built in DACs, so I can use those inputs for the BD player and DVR. XPA-3 seems leagues better than either amp in Options 1 or 2. Can use XPA-3 in future surround sound setup and still run 2.0 system from the HK since its amps are not too shabby either.
Negatives: Similar to Option 2, no room correction, HDMI switching, or Airplay.

So, I am leaning towards Option 3. It seems to be most likely to give me the best sound and is more future proof. For the same price as option 2 I will be getting 5 total channels of amplification vs. just 2 channels.

I would love to know if anyone has a setup with a 2-ch receiver like the HK and a TV and how well that works or if it is a pain in the ass. Having the big Emotiva staring at me will give me emotional satisfaction vs. looking at the Pioneer. I guess if I went Option 3 I could always add a separate room correction device/bass management device and Apple TV if I really wanted.

Are there any other components/options in my price range I should consider? Does anyone make a 2-ch receiver with HDMI also? Which option would you guys choose?

Thanks for all the help! Sorry for such a long post, but I figure more info is better and I wanted to show I did try to do my homework.

Thanks for the info. I have been going back an forth in my head about just using the HK to drive the speakers since it seems to get very good marks for how it sounds. I may wait til I can get the room set up and then buy the XPA-3 and try to listen for myself to see if it sounds better than the HK, at least enough to justify the cost. If not I would have 30 days to return it. Thanks for the links to the Hsu high pass filter and the equalizer. That DEQ2496 looks pretty complicated. I will take a look at it to see whether it would be feasible for me in the future.

How would you compare the HK 3490 to the Outlaw Audio rr2150 as far as sound? The Outlaw is pricier, similar power, and has bass management.

Finally, I have debated internally about towers vs. bookshelf/subs. To me, music seems to sound better with full range towers. I am also really excited to eventually demo some of the speakers I listed. But thanks for the suggestions.

Thanks for all your suggestions. I ordered the HK 3490 for $299 from J&R. I figure it is relatively cheap, so not much risk. My basement is still a long way from being ready for a new setup though, still have lots of cleanup to do.

Based on your guys' recommendations, I am going to hold off on an external amp for now. Once my room is clean, I will buy the TV and BD player, upgrade my DVR, then audition speakers. Once I pick a pair, I can always try out the Emotiva for 30 days and see..er..hear for myself if it makes a difference.

I would love to hear your impressions on how the new amp sounds vs. the HK. What speakers will you be driving?

arnyk,

Couple of questions about this post, maybe showing my lack of knowledge. How exactly do you connect the products you mentioned? If he has 2 sets of speaker cables, one from the HK and the other from the new Adcom, how do you get those both attached to the same set of speakers? Or, do you only hook up one speaker to each amp and listen in mono? Also, aren't you supposed to level match the volume of sound using an spl meter? I don't understand the use of the voltmeter.

I was planning to buy or borrow a speaker selector, something like this:

http://www.jr.com/sima/pe/SMA_SSW6/#productTabDetails

and then level match the speakers with a Radioshack spl meter. Is that not a good way to do it? My thought was that if speaker A plays, for example, 80 dB with the volume at, say, -15, and speaker B needs the volume to be at -12 to play 80dB, then each time I switch from A to B I would raise the volume 3 dB on the receiver to get the same spl.

Thanks for the additional info on level matching. I didn't know an spl meter was not enough. It is a good start at least.

Just to clarify, if you are comparing two amps using the same set of speakers, as in this case, I can see why you want the voltage the same. But if I am using one amp to compare two sets of speakers, even if I make the voltage the same going into each speaker, wouldn't the different sensitivities of the speaker produce different spls? How do you accurately measure spls in that case?

You guys are like the Borg..instead of "Resistance is futile!" it is "A/B speakers comparisons are futile!"

Seriously, I guess I am going to do the best I can by putting a few pairs of speakers in my room with my HK 3490 and trying to level match them as best as possible. I plan to do some blind testing and some un-blinded testing with various material and at various volumes. Hopefully, I can end up with the speaker I like the best. In a couple months after my room is cleaned up I will probably start a new thread detailing my process of speaker shopping.

I will try switching the speakers around in my room from time to time, in case one pair is in a bad spot, and thus at a disadvantage.

I received the HK 3490 today. Luckily I was home when UPS dropped it off b/c a freak Colorado rain shower hit and it probably would have gotten pretty wet. Anyway, so far I have just had time to hook it up and make sure it works. So far sounds fine with FM radio and my iPad plugged into the front. I like the look of it, but I agree with some of the opinions I read before I bought it...the tiny front panel buttons that are not back-lit are not the most user friendly choice. I will try to give it a bit more of a listen in a day or 2 and post my impressions. Then I need to pack it away as I finish cleaning my basement. Now on to picking out a TV and a Blu-ray player.

Thanks for all your help. I can't see how I will be disappointed with this at only $300. I will post pics in a day or 2.