I don't think there'd be much if any difference in sound quality between a "reasonably priced" pre/pro and one of the top-of-the-line receivers.

Yeah, units of equal price, I'd take the pre/pro, but the only way I can imagine a > $3000 receiver could compete with a $900 or $1250 pre/pro is if it could actually compete on sound quality too.

The professional mag reviews tend to back that up.

I had a $800 Yamaha receiver-as-a-pre/pro before my Sony pre/pro (4 yrs ago even). I didn't think there was that much difference in sound quality. And I much preferred the DSP processing in the Yamaha.

And the Yamaha didn't "hiss" either...