"severian" wrote in message
link.net...
[snip]
things that offer more convenient, say a tuner/preamp with remote control,
vs. a dedicated, ultra-high end unit that you have to get up and walk over
to everytime you want to change the volume.

Then you haven't heard the difference between a Sony ST-550ES tuner, a
nice-looking piece, and the ST-730ES. One has yucky sound; the other has
great sound.
I have owned a bunch of tuners, and I herewith rank them for you in terms of
sound quality. I don't need any instruments:

ST-730ES (the best!)
ST-222ES (ditto)
Yamaha TX-930, TX-950
Onkyo T9090MkII (the best puller, world-class, somewhat reduced fidelity)
Hafler DH-330 (poor separation, frequency response)
ST-555ES (nasty)

Each tuner is distinctive. Each tuner is different. Don't tell me what I can
hear. Tell us what YOU can hear.