Cheap or Expensive AVR + Amp?

Ok, If SQ is paramount is there any benefit in going to say a Yamaha 2065 (the cleanest and best i've heard) as opposed to say the 1065 or Onkyo 707 if you are going to add a dedicated AMP to the mix like a Naim or Emotiva.


You are using the pre-outs of the avr to the more powerful amp but is there any benefit at all in going for a more powerful expensive avr if the amp is going to do all the work?


Logic tells me no - but i just ask as i was all sold on getting a Onkyo 707 even started contemplating the 2310 but then for 2 channel music I heard the yamaha's on a A/B test and the Yamaha 1065 was by far the best cleanest sounding. Jump up to the 2065 and it was even better. On the other end of muddy sounding crap the denon was woefull.


So can you get away with a cheaper avr to do all your switching and the features that you want/like and get a 3 or 5 channel amp to take care of the speakers. Or do you need to have the better sq in the AVR as well? I guess to it depends then on the AMP that you are connecting. I would like to be able to connect a proper cd player directly to the amp as well to take the avr out of the noise add on.


Cheers people.


Matt