For my HT system I went with the NAD 751 (now 752) specifically because of the excellence of its EARS two-channel to 5.1 decoder/synthesizer. Really great ambient feel from two channel sources! I often listen to high-quality FM from my computer chair opposite end of room, well past the surrounds, and the 5.1 mix is FAR better than the squished stereo mode otherwise. For $500 it does yeoman's service in an all-round HT system, but it's tuner section isn't quite up to the level of its best ones of the early 90s Monitor Series, alas. Preamp section's quieter, though. But that EARS programmer gets my daily bravo!
Which receivers have decent stereo performance?
I currently have Yamaha RX-V795 driving a pair of Soliloquy 6.3 which does not do them justice. I can't afford an amp/pre-amp for now. Are there any receivers out there, used for less than $1K, that do decent stereo job so I can watch both movies and music sharing the same pair of speakers?