Beyond the new market, if you are not worried about every new feature, you can almost steal some really good AVR's that are just a few years old. Many afflicted with tech-itis sell only lightly used (few beat on their AVRs) gear to get the new upgrade. I have not looked, but I'm guessing you could get any of several well trusted units - ie., Denon 2 or 3000 range, Onkyo 8 or 900 range, HK, Rotel, PioElite, etc., for under $300.
They won't play Dolby True HD or do HDMI switching, but they will give you great sound and a solid 5.1 setup.
Just another option. I personally prefer working used to refurb on complex electronics, but that is just a personal preference.
