(warning, my links require adobe acrobat reader)
Actually, the more expensive Denons are a _lot_ better. The lower Yamaha models and the lower denon models http://www.homecinemachoice.com/frame.html?http://www.homecinemachoice.com/cgi-bin/displayreview.php?reviewid=3691
Most of them only do 35-40 watts per channel, and if you're going to pay a lot(since you're beginning this hobby after a long time, I assume you'd expect good performance from electronics with $400 price tags on them), you're going to want something a bit more powerful. Going for a refurbished higher end unit, such as the denon at ecost yeilds MUCH better results. Try and find a cheap Harman Kardon AVR 330, Denon 2803 or 3803. If you want to go for a lower price, try to find a cheap Panasonic digital amped receiver. They go 80 watts with all channels running no problem, which is an insane value for their low price - and it doesn't even horrible(if this isn't reassuring, I just don't know what would be.
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