Indeed. If you're getting "exotic" speakers (let's define that as speakers costing as much as a decent car), then you're going to want more exotic gear. If you're getting "reasonable" speakers (two-way bookshelfs, maybe a sub in the corner), then standard receivers are the way to go.

I have one particular friend who's Piega speakers cost a good deal more than a car. It seems every few months he's trying out some new audio component, some new DAC processor, and on it goes. He even got one of those crazy turntables where the platter is six inches thick and weighs a ton. At that point, you're not buying a home theater. You're adding a new hobby to your life. My friend justifies this by getting nearly everything at some incredible half-off sale price. He imported one high-end two-channel stereo pre-amp from Japan by purchasing it while he was there on business (for maybe half what it would have cost had he bought it here).

If he has everything set up for two-channel audio and wants to flip it over for watching a DVD, much fussing about ensues, since that means switching from the crazy Japanese pre-amp to the shiny Bryston pre-amp with the appropriate DVD decoders, and inevitably something isn't quite working right.

So, yeah, be careful what you ask for when you ask for an "unlimited" budget. (Maybe I should mention that said friend is also single. A kid crawling around the floor near his speakers could easily get electrocuted on the power outputs of the monoblock amps...)