Little Lena -- thanks for the feedback. I am most interested in the 950/1700 combo because of the price point of $1700. Otherwise, I probably would get the 755. The 770 is a hard sell $$ to one who is just fine with her $120 Sony! And if it's the best choice, I'll pony up the difference.

To clear up the confusion, currently I don't own a 950 at all. After thinking about it, I agree that purchasing an AMP and using the Denon as the 'pre-amp' would be the best first purchase. Now that you've pointed out the weak spots between the speakers and AVR might overlap, this is making more sense.

Thanks for the Denon3300 link. Will check out the settings this evening.

Do you have any opinions on between TIVO, ReplayTV and Dish Networks' personal digital recorder?