Gene- The ONLY qualm I have about the RX-Z7 after reading your review is the heat issue you mention. The Onkyos have the same problem, with people even reporting fires! That's all I need- to lose my house to a "receiver fire!"
Re the heat the Z7 puts out, if one had it on a little table, outside of a rack or AV stand, and maybe put one of those little AV fans on the top of it, would that take care of the issue? Would the Z7 make a room significantly warmer? My room is 16' X 21', opening into a kitchen and entry way at one end, with a 12' vaulted ceiling. I live in Fresno, Ca., and it gets hot here some days June through Sept. I usually don't need A/C until 4 PM, and I'd hate to need it earlier. Is the heat issue one of heating up one's room or is it just that one should not, as you say, put the unit in a rack without adequate space around it?
Edit- Gene: 1) Does the Z7 have a phono stage? If not, is it easy to hook a phono pre-amp to it?
Also, 2) does it allow one or more dB adjustments for the LFE bug? I think you said in your review of the Pio SC-07 that it had ONE adjustment for LFE- a 10 dB adjustment, if I recall, and I think you said that that was adequate.
Also, 3) please comment a little more about the heat. I just found a review you did of the RX-Z9 on July 3, 2004 in which you said "Runs extremely hot to the touch". Is the Z7 just as bad? I guess we won't know if that is a fire hazard until consumers run them in their homes for a few years. When you review these "hot" receivers, I wish you could put a little A/V fan on the top of them and report if that substantially reduces the problem. I think these are a little flat fan you lay on the top of a receiver to draw air (hot air) out of the top vents.
Thanks for a good review. Fresno