I need some suggestions on a receiver for a family member. He is buying equipment for his living room. At this time he is not going to have a full surround sound, only 3 speakers and a sub. I have recommended Ascend Acoustics CBM-170s for the mains and center and an HSU or Outlaw sub. I need some suggestions for a receiver in the $500-$700 range. If there is one that is more expensive, but such a stand out for the money, it would considered, I'm sure.
Ascend sells HK receivers on their site as an authorized dealer. They state that they have had very good results from these. I have noticed that, for the money, the wattage per channel is much lower on the HK than say a Yamaha or Denon of equal price. Are you paying for the "HK" on the receiver or would a lower wattage HK sound much better than a comparably price Yamaha or Denon?

Yamaha, Denon, Sony, etc. have a way of being a little liberal with their wattage ratings. The HK's will deliver their stated wattage and more with all channels driven at the same time, where other receiver manufacturers measure theirs with only two channels driven. My Yamaha HTR-5790 says 110 watts x 7, but with all channels driven at the same time it's probably putting out about 35-40 watts per channel. It's still a good bang for the buck receiver. Another one that is getting lots of press at the moment is the Pioneer 1014. It's basically an Elite 52TX with a few less features. One thing your relative needs to consider is how fast technology moves. Most brands release new models every year, so he may not want to spend that much with only a 3.1 setup. Why pay $700 for a receiver when you are only using about a buck fifty of the features? By a cheaper, used 5.1 receiver and put the rest into other areas until they are ready to make the jump to a full setup. Just some things to consider and my 2 cents. If, however, they're going to go 5.1 within a year, go ahead and get a new receiver.

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.

while i'll say that denon makes decent products,HK are slightly overpriced,under rated on power,but have high current output,and can drive difficult speakers easier than sony or yamaha(although nothing wrong with yamaha or sony when you get to their higher end receivers)

your best bet,and i'm really surprised you fellow outlaws haven't recommended it,is keep an eye on ebay and pick up a used 1050,they have pretty much held their value,so expect to pay $4-5 hundred plus shipping.

they are awesome for entry level 5.1 theater(6.1)
have awesome 2 channel sound for music,and have pre-outs for all channels for system growth down the road,you can't go wrong.with this forum you can get all the support you would ever need.

That's the reason you will not see mine on e-bay

Me too! But it doesn't hurt to keep an eye out. Check Audiogon, too.

I'll eventually upgrade to full separates from my 1050, but the trusty old 1050 will probably go (along with the then "old" speakers) to one of my daughters... or the bedroom.