Bill "Can't tell a loofa from a falafel" O'Reilly may be "right" but he is usually wrong!

But that aside, a Phono Input is now almost more important than before, since one of the "Iggletts" discovered all those "big round black things in the back closet with cool music on them".

A tuner? There are some great programs from NPR and APR that are worth listenging to on a quality system. Put politics aside and listen to "This American Life" and totally immerse yourself in the story thanks to great music in the background.

As to all the stuff in your #1, and the other product at this price that has those features is? Isn't the proper balance of sonic performance and features what it's all about here? I'll give those fine tuning adjustments up for a more affordable price.

USB jack on the back? Two words come to mind: EXETENSION CABLE. Get over it. Besides, you are complaining about a tuner yet think that the USB jack will get use?

At the end of the day, I think that you have mis-cast "Things I (you) don't like and/or need" as "Bad". They ain't bad, they are just stuff that on the one hand you say "take out and save money because I don't use it" then on the other hand say "gee, even though putting something in that I (you) want but others don't need or even understand at all is OK, even if it raises the price for everyone else so that I have what I (you) want".

Hmmm. THe trurth will come when enough people get their hands (ears) on these things and tell us how they SOUND. THAT is the true measure of good or bad, as opposed to "glad it has this" and "too bad it doesn't have this".