Charlie, I think I understand what you mean now. In all honesty I would have gone with the 1066 had it not been for the simple fact that I like a very detailed sound when it comes to HT. For music that is different but I figured I could add a warm cd player and get closer to what I want. Other than that little thing I would have went the Rotel route based on options, and in my opinion, looks. Also I am assuming I could get it for 1350 or less. If you prefer a warm sound for HT I think you would be making a mistake not to seriously consider the Rotel. If you are like me and enjoy warm music, take the extra money saved and get a modified Sony SACD player and then you will have the best of both worlds. I really think this "better value" thing is subjective to what each person believes they need.

In my honest opinion, since I have not compared the two, I believe the warm/bright issue is being taken too far. I think ultimately very few of us could pick one from the other in a blind test. I really believe its paying extra for the extra features, and that's the decision.