Hey "gonk"... I really appreciate your reply. I took a quick look at the topics here last night but somehow failed to notice any of the threads you referenced. Seems like about half the folks preferred the Marantz and the other half the 1050.

I know exactly what "cburbs" means by being uncertain... but I think I'll just go ahead and order a 1050 next week. I'm never gonna know for sure if I will like it unless I listen to it. I want to upgrade my two-channel stereo system to "home theater"... but I'm having one heck of a time finding a reasonably priced receiver that sounds as good for music as the trusty Philips unit I've had for like 7 years.

Thanks for the replies!