Oh boy, I wish I could afford your conundrum. I just want a reciever that will get me by for now for 2-3 yrs until the whole HDMI 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 fiasco gets sorted out as well as DD+, True HD, and DTS-HD get incorporated into recievers at a reasonable price.

And yes, I do think I will be getting a HK. The bass management is the real deal breaker for me as well. I just gotta figure out which one.