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Has the technology not advanced any to allow a reduced size?

I think anyone who drops $500 on a new receiver wants their back to hurt just a little bit when they pick it up. I bet they've done studies on how much people want their new receiver to weight.

Or, one could be less cynical and come to the conclusion that amplifiers have to use a lot of power, and they have to have big enough heat sinks to not require a fan.

On topic: My current reciver is an onkyo TS-SR503 and it's great. It's half your budget, but does everything I need, mainly component video switching. It's paired with the Dell 2407fpw in my bedroom and makes for a great bedroom system.

Matthew