Brian, you can get an excellent unit for less than that if you go with the Onkyo 709 factory refurb for about $420 from
Accessories4less .
Looks good. 0.08 harmonic distortion as opposed to Pioneer's 0.05. I doubt if that relates to anything audible, but don't know.
Same wattage as my Pioneer. Not new, that's the only thing that worries me at the moment. It's those little things that go out over a couple of years, like the RCA jack that may be ready to go out on a refurbished unit, is another worry. Dealing with shipping units that are defective if I have to return it and doing without a receiver in the meantime. That's what makes places like Best Buy look good.
It's not all about the price. I'd rather pay twice as much, if I can deal with less hassle and future down time. I'll have to give this some thought.
If I had bought an extended 3 or 4 year warranty for the Pioneer, this wouldn't be an issue.
