To me it really depends on your needs and how much you are willing to pay. If money is no object then any of the Denon, Pioneer, Yamaha top of the line models will be good and are THX certified to the limit. If budget is tight then you can pick from the lower models in the Pioneer line up. However, like Seth=L, my pick will also be the Onkyo, for its superior power output and the Reon chip even though I won't use it but its free (as long as it can be turned off but that's just me). I do strongly suggest you get one with an Ethernet port for ease of web based features and firmware upgrades. I know I am repeating what has been said many times on this forum, if an amp is designed and build to amplifier the input signal linearly without adding audible distortion, it should not have its own sound when operated within its design limits regardless of whether is is class A, A/B, or D.
Regarding those power consumption figures, those (such as Seth=L) who have read enough of them in spec sheets, will know that they are mainly there to give you an idea how much power it may consume under certain usage conditions. As such, it is almost possible that manufacturers may actually be tempted to post lower numbers that is allowable within existing codes and regulations that apply to their products (or appliance
). There are a few exceptions, Harman Kardon and most recently Yamaha, do tend to provide both "nominal (they imply this by omissioin)" and "maximum" power consumption numbers. Some power amps do that too, Zumbo has already given an example. When the "maximum" consumption figure is given, you will find that the "ACD" output number roughly equals to 45 to 60% of the "maximum" number.
