Okay, Mark, I'll throw out some thoughts. If five M2s, even FO with discount, is beyond budget, consider five of these for $300. For a combo DVD/VHS player this looks good. The term "simple HT receiver" might be pretty much an oxymoron. My first thought for under $300 might be the Pioneer 815 and just ignore any unneeded bells and whistles, but this seems slightly less enwhistled.


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Enjoy the music, not the equipment.