John, Don't apologize. It's interesting. :-). My Yamaha HTR-5790 was under a grand. It has an input labeled "Phono", pre-outs for front/center/sub/2-surrounds, and uconversion to component vid from S-video and composite. You might want to take a look at the HTR-5890. It appears to have the same feature set. Don't get caught up in the diff between HTR and RXV. They are the same product packaged diffently. From Yamaha's site:
"There are many similarities between these two product lines. The RX-V line and the HTR line are produced in the same Yamaha factory using the same high quality parts throughout. The RX-V and equivalent HTR models have the same warranty periods, the same manufacturer's suggested retail price, the same features, and the same remote control units". The real difference is the channel they are sold through and cosmetics. The 5890 is $699 at Best Buy and I'd bet you can find it cheaper on the web. I've been extremely happy with my 5790.
BTW, I ordered the M2's last night. We'll see how they work out.
Mike
