closer to where you want to be with a two channel music system. All the compromises which might make the RX-A1000 a good hometheater receiver are likely to make it a less than suitable choice for a music system. Just look at the list of features it has which will never be used and you tell me.

you understand its limitations.

Here would be an interesting combo...

FiiO D3 DAC for $30 delivered, yes, that is $30! Cambridge Audio Azur 550A integrated amplifier for $399.

This is a tough one.  One of my partners is a hi-fi retailer and I've done network installs around some of the Yamaha Aventage series receivers.  I like them a lot, but I don't think I'd want one as my DAC in a 2-channel system.  That's not to say that they sound bad and it's certainly a fantastic starting point (I started with a garbage $80 DAC), but I think a dedicated DAC that's been designed for 2-channel listening may sound better.  Right now I've got a Peachtree Audio Dac-It ($449 retail) on loan and I'm blown away by how great it's made my system sound.  All this being said, you did get a fantastic peace of equipment for $430.  

You probably did OK. We may not be as enthusiastic about it as you, because the assumption that its DAC is as good as a dedicated one, or that it's implemented well, is truly an unknown. So don't try and "figure it out" based on fractional cost amounts. It don't work that way here.

If it were me I'd keep it and really get to know it. You need a baseline setup before you can judge any future changes; now you have a promising one.

Some things to keep in mind:

1) If all your sources are 16/44 (and they probably are) you're OK coming from the Mac's optical output. I suppose the Yamaha has a corresponding TosLink input. Use a suitable, one-piece cable, not an adapter coming out of the Mac into a regular TosLink cable. You can find mini-optical to TosLink cables.

2) If you haven't already, your music collection should be lossless files, not lossy files such as mp3 or AAC. Lossless will be WAV, AIFF or Apple Lossless in iTunes. Some other players such as Decibel or Pure Music can directly play FLAC files, akin to Apple Lossless. (And FLAC files can be freely converted to say, Apple Lossless with XLD or xACT.) Many people say that these software players sound better than iTunes ...

3) For high resolution files you buy from (for example) HDTracks.com or aquire from other means, you'll need a USB DAC or a USB bridge (gives you a digital coax port), because the Mac's optical out doesn't output more than a 48kHz sample rate. There are places online that purport "CD quality" aka Redbook aka "regular" lossless files to be high resolution. They are not. 16-bit, 44kHz lossless files are certainly better than mp3 or AAC, but they ain't hires.

4) As always, learn about your room, move speakers and listening position around, do the "free stuff" first. Remember to have fun!

Hello, I’m brand new here, but I had to ask, did you ever compare anything to your Aventage? I bought one for my HT back when they first came out and I’m wondering what kind of sonic improvement I could expect if I went to an integrated like the A-S810. Any other suggestions would be much appreciated. I’d really like a true stereo setup and I’ve been pleased with my Aventage, which is still going strong. Just curious if I’ll be blown away by a more transparent soundstage or some other aspect I’ve been missing out on.