I am not aware of all the technical details for this answer (if you do some Yamaha AND htr searches here and elsewhere you may find out) but the general consensus you'll get from experts on this and other hifi forums is stick to the Yamaha rxv2400 and don't look back. Apparently (trading in rumor here) the Yamaha HTR line, while perfectly fine for mass market standards, is not made to the same level of quality in terms of power handling, heat sinks, circuitry and features. I also believe the HTR series may lack the advanced bass management abilities that Yamaha put on the 2400 and 1400. You will want these, so it's worth the upgrade for them alone.
I would however try to get a better price on the 2400 - you're talking USD right, not CDN? New (ie, non-refurbished) 2400s can be purchased from etronics for about $690 + shipping:
There are still good reasons to buy it from a local dealer instead of online (better tech support, ability to return - which you might avail now, your own interest supporting local economy) ... also, personally I don't think it's fair to expect local dealers to give you the same exact price you can get online. But armed with the etronics price, you might go back and politely let the salesperson know you're going to return it unopened, but would purchase it with some kind of an attempt to match the going street price online. Then if they don't want to deal, return it and look into etronics or another e-tailer. You can find some good threads here about the best online sources, since you want to be sure to use an authorized dealer or someone who will back up the warranty.
Birdman
