I'm building out a small home theater and am at the stage where I need to decide on a receiver so I can run the appropriate cabling.

I love the idea of the 1070 but am trying to convince myself why it's a "better" choice than a Denon or HK with similar specs at a lower price. I WANT to purchase the 1070 ... I just need some more convincing.

For example, the Denon AVR-1706 seems to have about the same processing modes, similar output (75 WPC) and comes from a brand with a generally good reputation. And it's half the price of a 1070.

I know this may seem like sacrilege to be posting this on Outlaw's forum, but how/why is the 1070 better? Other than DVI switching and preamp outputs, both of which the 1070 has and this particular Denon lacks, what else makes the 1070 a better choice?

With speakers and subs you can usually hear the difference $500 makes, with displays you can see it ... can you hear the difference with a receiver?

For reference, this will be used with DefTech Mythos Gem speakers (5), a Rocket ULW-10 subwoofer and a Pioneer 43" plasma.

Thanks.

Good question, I don't own any of those so I can't comment on that but some one here will, that is why this is one of if not the best forums, you will always get an honest answer here regardless of the manufacturer. happy hunting.

The Denon 1706 is from the lower tier of their products - their strongest offerings start around the 3805/3806, while the products in the 1706's bracket are going to be using less costly components. It's not clear to me if the 1706's 75W rating is based on all channels driven; the 1070's rating is based on that, which is unusual for a receiver's rating. The 1706 only offers a 5.1 analog input (HD-DVD and Blu-ray will offer 7.1 analog outputs, which the 1070's 7.1 input will support). The 1706 also lacks pre-amp outputs, making it impossible to add an separate amplifier. The 1070 also offers more digital inputs, more video inputs, an RS-232 port for software updates (such as the one released yesterday), and the DVI switching.

That's the feature list difference - what about the sonic difference? Since I haven't heard the 1706 or the 1070, I have to speak here based on general experience - but that experience would lead me to expect there to be a not-insignificant sonic benefit to move up from a $450 receiver (be it a Denon, Yamaha, Pioneer, HK, Sony, or other) to a Model 1070. There are too many component improvements (power supply, DACs, DSP chip, analog design, so on) that come hand-in-hand with a move from <$500 to ~$1000. For example, there's a picture of the 1706's insides on the Denon site, and the power supply is visible. Compare it to this picture of the 1070's toroidal power supply. (Other pictures of the 1070 with the top off are available here thanks to psklenar.) You also have the advantage of customer support - Outlaw's staff are a phone call or e-mail away, the forum is here around the clock, and Outlaw is clearly serious about providing the best support possible for their customers (again, see yesterday's firmware update).

Why are you even considering skimping on your electronics with speakers like those? You should be contemplating the 1070 vs seperates.

You guys make some good points. gonk, thanks for the reminder about HD-DVD and Blu-ray players using 7.1 analog outputs (in addition to HDMI). With the DVI-only switching on the 1070 -- and no digital video switching at all on lower end Denons -- having the ability to input a full 7.1 audio signal is important to me.

Also, the 1070's power supply is awesome-looking. It reminds me of a mini nuclear power plant. I think that's a good thing ...

P Holland: As I make these purchasing decisions, I'm trying to strike the best balance (to me) between perceived performance and price, with a bit of aesthetics, convenience and compatibility thrown in, too.

For example, my Pioneer display isn't a $5000 Elite, but it's also not a low end offbrand from CC. To me, it was a great value for the quality. I'm trying to make sure, within reason, that the other parts of my system strike the same balance.

That said, I think I'll go ahead and give the 1070 a shot. There's only so much I can learn about it through research and talking with other owners online. I'm ready to try it out in my (unfinished) HT and see how it sounds to me.