What mid priced receiver sounds best?

Any NAD except the T-series (junk). My very first system was NAD 7240PE/Paradigm Monitor 5se...GREAT sound.

I second the NAD rec. Very balanced, rock solid build. I call 'em the High end of Midfi. Second choice would be Marantz.

Arcam?

At the time I was buying, that Onkyo was one of my favorites in its price range. I got a good deal on an open-box Yamaha Aventage 1020, which I also liked a lot, and having had good experiences with Yamaha's reliability, I went with the Yamaha.

At its current street price of around $700, I'm not sure what I'd prefer over that Onkyo. It is strong all around - video, sound, processing, it's all well done.

The Onkyo 818 receiver was well reviewed in the British press (Hi Fi News, What Hi Fi, etc.).

The Onkyo has a phono input, if it makes a difference.

I never had trouble with Onkyo products. At $800 or so, it seems like a steal, given it was released less than a year ago.

Rich