Well if you look around you will notice the amp section in the lower-end Yamaha's is a pile of crud, they don't deliver the values they are rated to, but the build quality is still on the O.K. side just the amp is lacking...
6th Ave has the Harman/Kardon AVR-125 for $250 and it will blow that Yamaha away in the water although the Yamaha is 6.1 and the HK only 5.1 there is very little point in that extra channel and i'd rather have a better amp than another channel with even less power.
Here is the link:
http://www.6ave.com/product.jsp?x=AVR125&zipz=11001
and if you don't mind a used one look at
www.SoundCity.com
It is $200 over there for a refurbished and it comes with a FULL manufacturers warranty of 5 years. SoundCity is also an authorized dealer, as well as 6thAve.
Stick with the HK, better looks, better amplifier, better remote, you won't go wrong..
I was also looking at the XVR440 and 540. I was dead set on the 540 but then I went to the store and I got sold to the HK instead.