NewBuyer - no hard feelings! There should be no question that the 1068 is a respectable piece of equipment. As I said, my observations were nothing more than what my ears heard and my preferences interpreted what was reported by my ears. There was someone else here in the forum who found the 1068 a bit harsh, but that obviously doesn't mean there aren't going to be people, systems, and/or rooms where no such harshness exists. As for my comments regarding the remote and manual, I was viewing both through the eyes of a newcomer to home theater rather than someone with prior HT equipment knowledge.