Rook, welcome, and I'll comment on your power rating question. The Denon doesn't necessarily put out more watts then the HK; the ratings are based on different standards. The Denon is with two channels driven simultaneously at full power for at least five minutes, the HK is with all channels driven simultaneously at full power for at least five minutes(not a very realistic situation in home use). Both ratings are accurate and actually a little conservative, as is the case with other manufacturers as well. Measured on the same basis the Denon and HK figures would be quite similar and small power differences are of almost no significance anyway.
There's sometimes a misconception that the FTC reg requires that all channels be driven simultaneously for the rating which all receiver/amps sold in the U.S. have to meet. As I've pointed out previously the FTC only requires that all "associated" channels be driven simultaneously. As was the case in the early 1970s when the reg was being formulated, "associated" is considered as being two channels, not all, and the manufacturers who rate their products on that basis are in compliance with the reg.
