The reason it's expensive is it uses class G amplification and also has Dirac Live built into it. It's unfortunate that Arcam products are always so expensive in the US with the exchange rate being what it is.
The 90WPC doesn't reflect the capability of this - it's capable of driving any speaker to reference levels
If you have a dealer near you I highly recommend a listen before writing it off.
The AVR600 and AVR750 were very respected amps and the new AVR850 is getting glowing reviews too.
