Well I disagree that Denon overrates their power ratings, though Yamaha and Sony do.

HK makes good components though they are overpriced for their performance/features usually.

I agree that if he plans to upgrade soon, then he should go for a lower priced receiver to start with. At least that way he can compare its sound to his new more expensive processor/receiver/amp when he gets it...

I think that Denon packs their products with about as many features as possible and is a good value also. I guess you could get a 2805 for that price range.