In reply to:

they are considered a "lesser" component than Denon or HK?



No, no, no. I certainly don't believe so, anyway. What I meant is that the 5500 is in the middle of Marantz's range. If you wanted the equivalent of, say, Denon's 3805, take a look at the SR8400.

M22ti mains, EP175 sub, VP150 center, QS4 surrounds