puppethead,

If you are just jumping into this, you need to think about positioning yourself for the best options.

On my minimal budget I started with a refurbed Denon and later added 3 M200s across the front.

The 7125 would give you more than 125 per channel in your 2 channel start-up mode. Later you would be limited to that 125 per channel.

If you start with the 7500 or 7700 you will have plenty of power to audition lots of speakers from inefficient to high efficient. And you will have lots of power for future expansion. Who knows? You might end up wanting floorstanders all the way around.

If you start with 2 M2200s, you can buy a 7500 later and use the M2200s for surrounds, backs or something else. The M2200s give you plenty of power for mains. Some will argue the "musicality" of the M2200, but for you it may only be a stepping stone. My M200s run very cool, so no need to worry about heat issues or stacking up to 3 M2200s.

I am thinking of trying a 7500 myself to see if there is a difference between the M200s and the 7500. I am also looking into a 2 channel amp for the mains.

You can spend a bunch of money in this hobby trying to get a noticeable difference in sound.

There are some good internet companies out there with speakers you can audition at home; AV123, Axiom, Aperion, Ascend and others. With time and credit you can audition a lot of speakers at home for 30 days.

All of the above IMHO.

Bug