You know any of the Used receivers on teh market at $1k used (probably much more new) would suffice. Really they would all do much better sonically if you add a separate power amp!....huge differnce! (I once compared the Denon 5800 and Yamaha DSPA3090 on some B&W 601's full range vs using their pre-out's into a power amp, and it was no contest!...huge upgrade with the power amp!..another league)
Denon, yamaha, Marantz, Rotel, Nak, Nad, or the great sounding Arcam at $1200 new, at $1k used would be ok. Yamaha by itself might be a little thin/brigt. But the others are all in the same kind of sonic league used. Infact, you would get a $2k reciever for $1k used these day's. Any of the Denon 4802's, Yamaha DSPA1's, Marantz's higher end or whatever are all going to sound descent enough, and similar.
My suggestion would be to find maybe a $500 used receiver with pre-out's, and ad a good 5 channel amp and such! A used Acurus 100x5 with even the old Acurus ACT 3 pre/pro(dD/DTS) would sound killer on those!(that sytem driving some 6 ohm audio physics speakers was supperb in my old store! I also used to own that combo.
Also, Parasound's 5 chanel amps from 120wx5 and up would sound really smooth and puncy with your speakers. Or, do that and buy the little used AVP1000 Parasound and keep it all used separates!(used HCA1206/1205 would go for $650 or so, and $400 for the processor!...very clean!..the same with the more refined Acurus combo)
If you want the latest bells and whitles/formates, then use maybe a Denon AVR3802/Yamaha RXV2000 or whatever into a 2 channel or 5 channel amp.
Either way, if you just have to go receiver(don't ever expect any sonic masterpiece from a receiver!..sorry, doesn't exist. The likes of the Arcam $1200 receier, Denon AVR5803/maybe 4802, Yamaha RXV1, Nakamichi AV10(maybe,maybe)
highest end Integra, or possibly the Outlaw receiver are going to have the best potential sound quality. Still, they can't beat separates!
have you considered the outlaw separates, new!? For $700 for a kick butt 6/7 channel HIGH QUALITY BEEFY POWER AMP(that sonically destroys any reiver's amp section ever made by the way) and $800 for a top shelf bargain pre/pro with 24/192 dac's, dirrect analog passthrough's, and all the latest formats, how could you go wrong!?! I wouldn't hessitte to spend a few extra that route!..or maybe even cheeper used.
Anyway, I don't think you would go terribly wrong with any of the used receivers I mentioned in the $1k used price point, if you would do used. Still, no recevier can make your Hayden's(which I"ve sold in 2 stores now) sound better than separates..if you don't mind input.
