It's more $$ (a good bit more) but I have my eye on a new pre-pro/amp combo from Arcam that is supposed to come out this month. I believe the pre-pro is called the AVP 700 and the amp is the P1 and the combo will run $4500. The pre has HDMI switching (video only at this point), but that's not why I'm interested. Arcam has a sound that just really like. Another option is the Arcam AVR 300 ($1999). You can read up on these at their North American distributor site:
http://www.audiophilesystems.com/
I would also put a plug in for Rotel and you might want to check out the Emotiva UL combo that is supposedly coming out this month.
I put these first since they all are separates-based and have the capacity to drive 4-ohm loads if you later decide to upgrade speakers.
A great receiver that is more in the $1200 range is the Pioneer Elite VSX56TXI. It has upgraded capacitors from the lower models (for better power) and my favorite feature is the I-Link, which lets you make one connection from an I-Link equipped player (like the DV59-AVi) rather than 6 cables and you can utilize the bass management/MCACC functions on the receiver for DVD-A/SACD music.
Anyway, just a few more suggestions. How about you telling us what features you are looking for and maybe we can talk more specifics?
