I tested a Denon in my house before settling with the Yamaha and I didn't notice a difference at all. It was interesting because I used the exact same speakers and set-up. My dealer said (I think I also heard some here say this as well) there used to be bigger differences, but not nearly as much now.

I think you would only notice big differences if you jump up a few levels. For example, when I switched from my older Sony non-DD, HT, etc to my Yamaha, I noticed huge differences- it wasn't because of one being brighter or more clear, it was because the Sony was outdated and couldn't power my speakers appropriately.

Interesting. I look forward to reading what others write.