Jerome, I assume that you mean your dealer is also offering a 525 instead of a 762. Neither of those receivers has a characteristic "sound" of its own. The sound you hear is determined by the recording, your speakers and your listening room, not by the receiver. If you've been getting "detailed-yet-not-harsh" sound with the 761 you'll get the same with either the 762 or the 525. Both are also generally reliable; your experience with the 761 can happen with anything. Choose based on the features; my pick would probably be the 525, giving weight to its Logic7 processing and other features.
