Hey guys, wow, thanks for the overnight answers. Sorry to be an idiot.

Again, if there are sources beyond manually asking this or other forums where you think I can better learn let me know. I assume many friendly salespeople would help in a local shop....

Anyway the questions that remain for me:

what's the role an amp plays? (In my prior life I simply had a receiver + speakers.) Amplifier does just that? Pumps the signal and powers it to speakers? I realize now in looking at the 970 that it has preamp outputs, but no speaker outs. That would have been a tip-off!

I gather that a pre/pro is used to corral various inputs, is that correct? You pipe DVD and CD and (possibly) HDMI and LP into the pre/pro and then it goes out through amp to speakers? Thus you have one device that controls all switching? What's the diff between pre/pro and receiver? Lack of a tuner?

Thus to Xenon's point I prob for now can get by with simply an amp and speakers? I have no other real need for a pre/pro until i need to corral other inputs?