As a cinema grand signature and theater grand II owner, I have a somewhat different opinion than the previous two members. Although I haven't spend a great deal of time with the anthem gear, I did audition them a few years back. At that time, I chose to go with the B&K ref 20 / AV5000II setup over the anthem. Admittedly, the anthem had greater depth to the soundstage and a bit more neutrality on two channel, but on DVD, I actually preferred the low end slam and somewhat warmer sound of the B&K. Ultimately, I opted for the B&K package because the difference in sound quality did not justify the difference in price. Recently, I helped a friend pick out, and purchase, an all rotel setup with NHT speakers (from some electronics chain). For the floor price, you can't beat it. The sound, while not approaching the B&K or the Anthem, is quite listenable, despite restricted dynamics and leanness on the bass. Having said that, I recently upgraded to the sunfire from the B&K, which IMHO blows the whole lot away by a steep margin. The sunfire gear is not neutral, but a bit euphonic. For me however, the added sweetness mates well with my very revealing speakers. Good material sounds great and bad material sounds almost tolerable. Best of all, it mellows out the harshness of DD and DTS soundtracks. Since the TGIII just came out, you can now purchase used Sunfire equipment on audiogon at pretty low prices. Things you should consider is whether or not you (1)need the power of the sunfire gear for a bedroom system and (2) have the room for it as it is quite big. For me, and my main system, I haven't even looked back. If it sounds suitable take the plunge.
