HK 3480 vs AVR 230

[genki]

Hi, I made a post a few weeks ago asking a similar question about receivers. I originally was going to purchase the avr 130 but have since decided that it is underpowered and under featured for my needs. I have decided that I am going with the CBM-170's. Here is my question. Music is much more important to me than movies. Even though I will be using these speakers for movies, their primary use will be for music. The advantage of the HK 3480 is that it is rated at 120 watts. Its major disadvantage is that I can't use it to upgrade to a 3.1 or 5.1 system. The AVR 230 gives me this option but it is only rated at 65 watts for two channels. How big of an improvement will there be for two channel music with the HK 3480 over the AVR 230? If it is not significant than I will just go with the AVR 230, but if there is a major difference in sound quality for music I will definitely go with the HK 3480. (My budget is about $250 and I am shopping refurbed receivers). Thanks!

[jimsiff]

It depends on your listening habits and room size. If your room is small to medium and you don't listen at high volumes, the AVR230 should be fine. The added headroom is always nice, but unless you're cranking it a lot, you shouldn't see a big difference between the two.