There has been a lot of shakeup in the receiver manufacturer ownership in the last few years and while it might mean nothing, sometimes these mergers and buyouts lead to a decrease in quality in pursuit of higher profits and sometimes they don't. First, Denon bought Pioneer, then Sound United bought Denon, Pioneer, and Marantz. One of the manufacturers who has been able to stay independent is Yamaha, who still makes all their own equipment. The reliability of Yamaha receivers is top of the line. So along with the others who have mentioned Yamaha, I'll throw in my two cents in a vote for Yamaha.
Best Receiver?
I’m setting up a second system with a set of stand mount speakers and a nice Garrard 301 and want a tuner built in, rather than an integrated amp. Of all the receivers, vintage and more recent, what’s the best sounding? I always thought those massive Marantz etc looked great but didn’t sound particularly good. Anyone have experience with something that sounded great?