Question on Receivers/Pre-Amps/Amps

[Erman_94]

Hi, these questions may seem stupid to those with some knowledge with receivers and audio but here it goes...

I currently own a Pioneer 1018 receiver.

I am going to be upgrading my current 5.1 Polk/eD setup to a 5.1 B&W/eD setup (This upgrade may not happen until the new year, but it will be happening eventually.)

In addition, even if I stick with my current Polk setup, I am looking to give my audio experience a real kick in the a**.

Which of the following scenarios would optimize my audio experience?

A) Keep the 1018 to act as a preamp and invest in an amplifier to power my 3 fronts or all 5 speakers

B) Buy a Pioneer ELITE receiver and not invest in an amplifier

C) Buy a Pioneer ELITE receiver as a preamp and invest in an amplifier

I'm no audio expert, but to me, option C seems to be overkill since the Elite will not be handling any speakers (or maybe just the surrounds). Correct me if I'm wrong though. From what I understand, option A and option C are very similar (and identical if the amp will be handling every speaker)

So is it pointless to purchase an ELITE if I'm just using it as a preamp? Because my 1018 decodes all the HD codecs and it has pre-outs...so what would I benefit from an ELITE?

I know these are a lot of thoughts but I'm looking for some assistance as I'm not the greatest with this stuff.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.