steveKlein

best reciever for under $500 given my needs (Harmon Kardon?)

Hey guys. I'm in the market for a new reciever. I'm looking to spend no more than $500. I want multiple component inputs for digital cable, dvd player, etc.

I'll also want to use my system to listen to XM radio, but the reciever does not have to be XM ready, persay.

I should note that the speakers I will be using with this reciever are not very good (actually, out of a 5.1 home theater in a box). However, I plan to upgrade the speakers down the line (3-5 years).

I don't want to spend more than I need to, but I also don't want to be forced to upgrade again when I get ready to revamp my speakers.

I don't really know much about mid-fi recievers in this price range, so I'm open to just about any brands. The only reason I mention Harmon Kardon is because I've heard good things, and I like the way they look.

The AVR340 is at the top of my price range, but I don't really see the advantage of the 340 over the AVR240. And really the only advantage over the 140 that I see is 7.1 capability, not 6.1 (but keep in mind that I only have a 5.1 system... but may upgrade this way down the line).

What other models should I be looking at (I've heard Onkyo, Panasonic Denon, and others... but not really sure which models to look at).

What else should I be looking for in a receiver?