Should I buy a Denon 2802 or Harmon Kardon 225?

The denon will sound better. The HK will have more features. Try either Harmanaudio.com or www.tsto.com for good pricing. HK sells factory refurbished direct with full warranties. Marantz may be a comprimise. Personally, I would look for an Outlaw receiver used.

I would buy neither,but if I had to choose I would get the Denon.HK Sucks!They sound so dark it makes me want to heave!

I would think you would be able to get a good closeout price on the Denon, as the 2803 is being introduced at a retail price of $799.00. This unit seems to fit your requirements: It's 80wpc x 7, (7.1) with all the decoding formats. The features are listed in April's Widescreen Review (p. 19-20), or I assume you can find it on Denon's website. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Abex. Just curious ... what speakers were you using with the HK, that produced such a dark sound? I was using the Denon with both EPOS 11 and later with Acoustic Research 302 Classic series and the sound (for music) was annoyingly lightweight and distant/not clear sounding. The HK, with the same speakers, was really clear, clean, and alive sounding with music. The HK though literally went up in smoke when 2 speaker leads touched each other (my fault, but I would not have expected the unit to fry). Thanks, Rich

I would look into the used market for something a little better for the same price. Maybe the Sony ES series. I have owned 2 HK's and I have to agree that,musicaly they suck. If you are going to be doing HT only, you would be better off with the ES series.