Any good opinions of Mcintosh MX134/206, MHT100?

I'm hoping to replace my Kenwood receiver soon and would like some input. I'm also fairly green in this arena and dont want to repeat early mistakes(kenwood reciever!). I have a 5.1 Paradigm speaker group and have been very happy with it,although it could use more midrange and bass. I have listened to both the preamp and receiver from Mcintosh and fell in love with the sound, looks, and "perceived" build quality. My impression was that they are mostly free from the horrible processing modes(jazz club, stadium,etc.) that take up space in my current system and replaced it with some solid engineering experience. I would like some feedback on these peices and possibly others that are comparable. I have also been looking at Rotel and Sunfire, both more in my price range, but hopes of longevity keep me leaning towards Macintosh. Am I just a victim of clever advertising and smooth talking salesmen or what?