My newbie opinion might not be worth too much, but I'll put my Yamaha RX-V1300 ($627 delivered) up against anything. Although this is my very first system, I am totally sold on the combination I have taken three months to research and buy. The Yamaha drives my 6.1 Axiom setup very nicely. M60's, QS8's, VP150 and EP175 would sound great with most receivers I bet, but I have grown very fond of my setup the past week or so.