I like my onkyo 906 for 2 channel as well as 7.1 but out of the brands that you list marantz is probably your best bet. Kinda depends on what you want though. The marantz has a warm sound(similar to tube equip). The denon is more analytical. I've heard that the arcam receivers sound good in 2 channel but I don't think they have hdmi 1.3. Don't know a whole lot bout the yamaha's.
Yamaha vs Marantz vs Denon
I'm about to replace a stereo amp (NAD c320) with a surround receiver. The top of my list is the Denon avr2309 (around AU$1300-$1500), but I'm after opinions on which of these three brands are considered the most "musical"; that is, the receiver most likely to do a good job of two-channel music.
Most of the receivers in this price range do everything else I want (7.1ch, auto setup, all the new HD codecs, several HDMI in/outs etc), but the deciding factor for me will be the brand that handles stereo music well.
Now I know I should be doing my own listening tests, but it's very hard where I am to find stores carrying all the models I want to compare, let alone finding the time; I value your opinions!!
Most of the receivers in this price range do everything else I want (7.1ch, auto setup, all the new HD codecs, several HDMI in/outs etc), but the deciding factor for me will be the brand that handles stereo music well.
Now I know I should be doing my own listening tests, but it's very hard where I am to find stores carrying all the models I want to compare, let alone finding the time; I value your opinions!!