A:Answer The intent is to add an external stereo amplifier to drive the front left and right speakers. There are pre-amp outputs for all 11.2 channels and the front L/R outputs include the balanced DIN outputs favored in high-end audiophile equipment. Keep in mind that all 9 channels are driven by a 490 watt power supply, so even with a good external stereo amp driving the front stereo speakers, there may still not be enough power available to drive 9 other speakers. I'd recommend at least 4 channels of external amplification to drive the front stereo and surround sound speakers, leaving the Yamaha to drive the center speaker, the back speakers and the elevation speakers. I have a pair of Parasound Halo A23 amps, which cost about $1k each.
Another option you might consider is to use amplified speakers such as the KEF LS50 wireless speakers. Many of them have the huge advantage of being wireless, saving you the need to run expensive speaker wires to the back of your home theater. You can use them with either BlueTooth or WiFi, but BlueTooth has limited bandwidth, so you might prefer to use your home WiFi network or to run thin Cat6 ethernet wires to your rear speakers. The great thing about the Yamaha is that it can be configured to do exactly that, sending high-res digital audio to your rear speakers and bi-amplifying your front speakers.
