I own a Sherwood P-965 Pre-Pro. Their new AVR, the R-972, offers a great feature set and lists for under $1800. Pros: excellent features, and if the 965 is any guide, really great sonics. Cons: Ergonomics are lousy, and require lots of patience.
Rotel's new AVRs use class D amplification, if you like that sort of thing, and have updated features like HDMI switching.
Beware of the power ratings on these AVRs. Typically, these consumer brands deliver anywhere from 25% to 75% of rated RMS power with all channels driven. Exceptions to this are Harman-Kardon, B&K, Rotel, NAD, Arcam, and maybe a few others.
Also, even though you don't need many features, I would consider HDMI 1.3a and good video switching/conversion a must.
Rotel's new AVRs use class D amplification, if you like that sort of thing, and have updated features like HDMI switching.
Beware of the power ratings on these AVRs. Typically, these consumer brands deliver anywhere from 25% to 75% of rated RMS power with all channels driven. Exceptions to this are Harman-Kardon, B&K, Rotel, NAD, Arcam, and maybe a few others.
Also, even though you don't need many features, I would consider HDMI 1.3a and good video switching/conversion a must.