Met, if your "crappy" Sony is nevertheless in good working condition and still capable of putting out a clean 70 watts(and if it isn't, there's a violation of the FTC power regulations that all amplifiers sold in the U.S. have to comply with), then spending money on an amplifier with a slightly greater maximum power capacity isn't going to be of benefit unless you're actually using more than the 70 or so watts that your present amp can deliver cleanly(unlikely). A new receiver such as the 1700 will have more up-to-date features, and that could be a reason for considering a replacement, but more maximum power capacity(especially supposedly coming from the fictitious "bi-amp" feature that some receivers advertise)isn't likely to be one. The extra $300 would far more likely be more cost-effective if it was applied toward speakers.
