Greetings,

I would recommend you audition the NAD line of receivers as well. I recently went through the process of selecting a receiver and currently have the setup:

NHT 2.5I 6Ohm load with 3 ohm dips, 86DB sensitivity ( Soon to be M80ti:)
VP-150
QS8
NAD T762

Although your ear will tell you which is right for you, I auditioned the NAD T762 in my home versus the Denon 3803 and my impression was the NAD was superior sonically in all regards to my ear.

Starting with the bass, the NAD presented deep bass on my NHTs, controlled yet punchy and tight. The Denon couldn't match the quantity, and quality of bass.

The midrange was harder to distinguish, but I felt a greater sense of neutrality, especially in vocals and stringed instuments on the NAD. The highs were respectable on the Denon, but I felt the NAD to be superior and more airy and neutral. Overall, I think the NAD is a gerat complement to Axiom speakers because to my ears it does what the Axioms do, get out of the way and play an accurate and neutral presentation of the music. At the same time the NAD is great at conveying emotion and ambiance in the music, much like an AMC tube amp I own.

Anyhow, with my budget it was a stretch to grab the NAD, but I felt the sonic improvement over the Denon was worth it. Other opinions I'm sure will vary, but I was delighted when the sheer weight of the unit translated into seeming huge power suppleis. The NAD is the only receiver I audtioned that can get my NAD 2.5is to play deep, controlled base, and approach the great transient response I heard through separates Acurus and Adcom. I think an H/K (my old receiver b4 the upgrade to NAD), the Denon, and the NAD are all solid choices. I would even encourage you to listen to Rotel. I didn't get the chance to listen to Rotel in my home like with the Denon, but their electronics are nice pieces as well. I am extremely happy of the sound through the VP-150, the QS8s, and the NHTs. Can't wait to get the M80s (the NAD is stable at playing all channels with a 4ohm load according to the manufacturer). Good luck in finding a receiver,