Most AVR's in the same price range will be pretty much the same as long as you stick with good names like Denon, HK, Pioneer, Onkyo, etc.
You really need to purchase a receiver that has the bells and whistles your needing. Some people want the ability to hook up an ipod or other mp3 player, to me that is not as important. Others may want 1080p HDMI switching to hook up all their HDMI video game systems, dvd players, etc. Still others may want the ability to pull in satellite radio.
These are just a few options. Again, it really depends on what your looking for to meet your needs. For me it was about Home Theater and music listening.
