Quote Originally Posted by shokhead
You can get a heck of a sub for under 1K from SVS or HSU to name 2.
Uh...Shok, I believe our poster is looking for a receiver for sub $1k... as in less than.

There are plenty of competent AVR's with multi-zone capabilities for your app. Denon, Yammie, Marantz, and Pio are the most frequently mentioned. All come from reputable companies and are widely regarded as durable, high quality pieces. The Denon 3807 is a sweet piece with 3 zones (IIRC) and HDMI switching, a key feature if you plan on running HD content from more than one source (i.e. HD sat and HD DVD/BluRay).

You also have some options available to you if you'd like something different from the usual Japanese fare. Cambridge Audio, Rotel, Arcam, NAD, and B&K are also very well respected and better known for their mid to high end equipment. The general consesus is that if you want a lot of bells and whistles, the Japanese are tough to beat. If sound quality is your priority, you may find the latter group more to your liking. Understand, I'm not saying the latter group sounds better, hence the emphasis on "may." It's purely subjective so decide for yourself.

I'd suggest you first narrow a list down to AVR's that support the features that are most important to you. Then listen to them, side by side preferrably, and determine which sounds best with your speakers.

Hope this helps.