Well, this is one of those "everybody is right" cases. I was all jazzed to upgrade my geriatric Denon AVR 3300 to something with an auto-set up to cure some problems i had. Then I moved into a smaller, but dedicated HT. Many improvements right off the bat.

Then I ejected the TV for a projector, which let me move the speakers further out into the room, and further from the sides. Big improvement in imaging and clarity.

Then I moved the sub to dead center about a foot from the front wall. Bass leveled out very nicely. From a small 10" B&W sub I can feel LFE in my toes, butt and intestines with a general absence of boominess - although I don't claim my little B&W is like the Axiom big dogs.

The point is, with options to change the sound path (including sound deadening and less furniture) you can achieve great results. I honestly see no need to upgrade my AVR now. [Well, buying a pro amp did a lot on that front as well as it fixed the harsh top end. \:\) ]

But, if you don't have those options, as many don't, and I did not for years, the hope and search for dramatic improvement from a computer chip is not a fool's errand. To me, it is no different than the debate over bass and treble adjustment. Purist say fix the room, get new speakers, etc. But the fact is, sometimes you just gotta turn down the treble or push the bass to make your room sound 'right' on your budget. The chips are no different...use it if it works, but don't count on a prefect fix to room interaction by changing the sound at the source.

Panny 3000 PJ, 118" Carada, Denon 3300, PS3, Axiom QS8, PSB 5T, B&W sub, levitating speaker wire