I got impatient and pulled the trigger on the 1513.  We'll see what happens.  I imagine I can use my Yeti for Audyssey on Windows?

Accessories4Less has the 1513 refurb for $99.99 direct from Denon.  I don't think there is a better deal out there, new or used.  Am I wrong?

I'll definitely check it out.  I'm also going to try to get to The Audio Lab this week.  The more I think about this and the more research I do, I believe the Denon to be a great option.  I don't need Audyssey since it will be plugged into my PC.  Unless something sways me at Flea or The Lab, $130 for the sheer quantity of inputs and power with a 1 year warranty seems pretty spectacular.  I found a Denon 1312 used for $80, but the 1513 has that warranty (I believe the only difference between them is HDMI placement).  I figure if it's going to crap out it will do it relatively quickly.  Seems to be the MO of Denon.

yeah i meant the 20th, not 13th... i never learned how to read an analog calender. theres no reason to register in advance.

Ah geez, I'm working that whole weekend.  The flyer said the 20th was the next one.  Is that just the next one you can prereg for?

Crown D60, D75, D150 will all be loud enough for casual listening and monitoring, and they all sell pretty cheap on craigslist and ebay, especially if they're a bit beat up. I got my D60 for 40 bucks a few months ago, and i think i paid 80 for my 150 a few years ago. they're not noisy and last forever. D75s are going in that range too, which is crazy because before powered monitors got really good over the last handful of years the prices were crazy high - I sold one a few years ago for over $300.

the MIT flea is on the 13th so there will probably be a decent amount of options there for something cheap, too. I have a few power amps here that I haven't tested yet that I'll be selling.

Fair.  I'll see if I can find a shop where i can try a comparable model.  I think there's a shop in Cambridge.  I'm sure they'll have a comparable Denon.  Thanks for your help!

You can also go to a few pro audio stores and check it out with some music you are familiar with. Most amp discussions will veer towards excessive tech spec comparisons or highly subjective personal opinions so the internet isnt very useful for this kind of thing imo.

I'm aware I have to be looking at the RMS, but most cheap amps don't actually have it anywhere in the specs.  Reviews and testing are the only way to actually acquire those numbers, thus why I asked the question here.

there is a good description of ratings versus real world performance here:
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/inde … 702AAotYdy

I'm looking for 100 watts x 2 channels.

I am still a little thrown off by the jargon of the Denon though.  Supposedly it will supply 5 channels with 75 watts, max 165 watts per channel.  Does that mean it will pump 165 watts to only 2 channels?  One of the reasons I'm so heavily considering the Denon (other than price) is it's projected power rating exceeds my needs meaning it will likely deliver just enough in real world performance.

And my point still stands that I would prefer new/refurb if I'm spending this amount of money.  If I could acquire a Crown or similar quality for $50 then my mind might change, but at nearly $200 used there's no way.

how much power do you need to listen to music in a room??? I find that most consumer amps watt ratings are way over reported. The crown i have is loud as fuck with my monitors.

Considering the price and power of these three receivers I have a hard time justifying going used.  The Denon has modern features, expandability, and a one-year warranty.  The Sherwood has a 2 year warranty and great reviews.  The Yamaha is probably the weakest of the three, but has more documentation and reviews floating around.  If I bought used I would only get marginally more power and no warranty.  Unless I could find an affordable tube amp, but those don't come cheap any more.

The Crown seems nice, I especially like the XLR combo inputs.  It doesn't quite have the power I'm looking for, though.

As far as overthinking this decision: This determines what I listen to for the next as many years as it will last.  The only thing that will "distract me from the music" is a lot of noise coming from my amp.  I'd rather overthink it than be buying and returning a bunch of these 20lb monstrosities.

While I may not have much money to put into this, I'm still looking for something that can last me at least a few years.  This will be my main listening and composing rig, I don't want a stop-gap until I'm comfortable throwing far too much money at it (that will not happen any time in the foreseeable future).

look  for an old onkyo on the bay. i picked up one for  like sixty and its loud.

I got a d-75a used for about the price of your budget, works great;
http://www.crownaudio.com/d-series.html