This is what I say for all new receiver purchasers. Go with the best deal with a good brand. Sony is not a good brand for receivers IMO, but Onkyo, Yamaha, Marantz, and Denon all make reliable budget receivers IMO. Any one of their products has a very low rate of failure and decent bang for the buck. I say go for the best deal. Harman Kardon is supposed to have the best music sound, but I went another direction because I was concerned with reliability. That may have been misplaced, but reliability is key in a receiver.