Idealy it would be around $1000 but could go a bit higher the payoff is worth it.
Here are a few to consider.
AVR The Onkyo series (at least the 806) does not have a pure pass through of the HMDI signal. Probably not a problem on 99% of setups, but worth knowing if video is a big deal for you. It stopped me from pulling trigger. The higher end Onkyos (875 and up) use an ISF video section and are near your price if you like Onkyo. And I would add Marantz to the short list. Very high quality product. I own a Denon 3300 and love it, except it for its lack of HDMI switching and HD audio codecs.
