Denon AVR-5803 or a Pioneer VSX-49TXiThis two are a great suggestion if you could find them in $2000 range, but I think they are a little out of your budget.
You might want to check Marantz X200 lines which is in clearence right now do that the X300 is coming.
Check
Matantz SR9200 ot SR8200, very good receivers for the money.
they will get a lesser model such as the Pioneer 45TX, add an outboard amp of their liking, and pocket the
$1000-$1500 in savingsI think is a good option, and a very good step toward separetes, but I aslo agree a good receiver could end up being the best option.
You have also to remember that in this hobby you get good systems around certain amount of money, and to get a better system you have to spend a lot and you dont get much of an improvement, by this I dont mean that spending is a waste on hobby and we should stay in entry to mid level, but getting the hi end of the hobby is very expensive and sometimes you dont get a big improvent that is worth the thousands you spend, and for some it does meet their value of invesment. But thats where every people draws their own line toward the amount spend on a HT.
And for me this statement is applicable in speakers and recievers, there are some companies that have speakers $10,000-$100,000, do you think they are worth that kind of amount, you could say yes or no. But at the end is your descition and you wallet.
And you have to remember also that there are companies that make so good products that are not worth so much in money but the can compete with upper price products, making the market have a lot of options and a lot of competition.
Nice discussing and agreeing with you,