LittleB:
I think you're jumping the gun just a little too soon buddy. I've been in this hobby for a very long, long time, and if there's one thing I can assure you of, cost doesn't always mean diddly in terms of quality.
There's a lot that plays into what a product ends up selling for. The notion that one has to spend $700-$1000 dollars in order to get a good quality receiver is just flat out horse crap, cause that just isn't so.
Just because a product doesn't share the same high price as it's competitors, does not in any ways shape or form mean it's inferior. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. Again, there's a lot of different things that factor into the price of a product, and believe it or not, pride in a companies name is offten a big factor, one in which that is offten over looked, yet can be easily seen when looked and investigated hard enough.
Now, I could be wrong and only time will tell, but I honestly believe you're going to end up eatting your own words once you receive your 1014TX-K. This is not your average run of the mill receiver, regardless of what it's price tag is. It's truly and outstanding receiver, one in which I have found to be better then most. No, not all, there's certainly receivers out there that are clearly better. However, all in all, dollar for dollar, the Pioneer VSX-1014TX-K is pretty darn hard to beat for the money.
It's virtually identical to the 52TX and is essentially the exact same receiver, minus a few very minor features. The 1014TX-K is absolutely phenomenal and is truly an exceptional receiver. I think, and again I'll point out, I could be wrong, but I think you'll find all this to be true once yours arrives and you get all setup and calibrated properly.
Sutter Cane