Honestly I don't think either way would necessarily be bad. Is there a way for you to return anything that you might purchase? Reason I ask is because usually within about 3-4 hours of using a piece of equipment I typically know how it works inside and out. I am talking about all the functions and remote commands etc. So it's usually after I am comfortable navigating a component that I really make my decision. I have always loved PIoneer receivers because they are so easy to master. Once you own one...you can use them all. Yamaha and Sony were always a bit backwards to me....maybe they have gotten better. Denon and Marantz make great stuff, but it's usually tricky to get them mastered quickly. However, once you do...they are superb. I would make your final decision based on your preference because doing an A/B comparison they are probably going to line up very closely.