One thing about a lot of reviews nowadays is you can find a good one on any product anymore no matter what the reality is so it's hard to put much stock into anything (well, except for here, of course!) but measurements and specs. I don't put much into subjective comments like warm, bright, buttery, chocolatey, yeasty... whatever. The thing is, its a mature technology and today's major players are are all making some really neutral, accurate amplification. Meaning a lot of those fuzzy descriptors and subjective comments are often just marketing fluff and/or cognitive bias, imo. With accuracy being the goal, there really shouldn't be any audible differences aside from different eq or room correction, etc. I look at specs, features, reliability and compatibility with my gear.
I say look for deals and buy from reputable manufacturers, make sure it has the power and features you need and take the plunge. I like
@Shanman's suggestion for something like a Denon AVR X3***. They're great receivers and have lots of flexibility, especially if you plan to incorporate a sub, which I recommend, but availability is kinda spotty lately... Marantz (SR series) and Yamaha (Aventage series) are usually highly recommended as well.
