I replaced a adcom 545ii I think, with a Rotel 981. They are both gone now, but I liked the Rotel better. I found it warmer, and I liked how it brought the vocals forward, compared to the adcom. I was using Epos m12.2 speakers at the time.
mid fi choices NAD vs Adcom vs Rotel ... $400
I know its not a lot of money is this world. I want to start small and work my way up. I know i'll be buying older equipment. Is it just personal preference with these brands being considered to be the same class of equipment? I've also noticed some raves about a particular Yamaha and Onkyo model. Don't see too much about Denon, which i thought was in the same class. Anything else i should be searching for?