Want a new avr for polk lsi speakers. TOO MANY CHOICES!

That denon is not going to power a full 5 channel 4ohm setup very well. What is your budget?

edit: This receiver should do much better

http://www.accessories4less.com/make...specifications

Most receivers are not rated for 4ohm speakers because they cannot handle a full surround setup consisting of 4ohm speakers. The Polk LSi's are all 4ohm speakers. The Denon is not rated to handle that. The refurbished onkyo I posted is, it's just a few years old, but I believe that was Onkyo's top of the line model (or close to it).

Your budget is twice the MSRP of that Denon. You could still get that receiver and add an external power amp, which runs off of the receivers pre-outs.

http://shop.emotiva.com/collections/.../products/xpa5

Or you could add a much cheaper receiver with pre-outs

http://www.accessories4less.com/make...eceiver/1.html

There are less than a handful of receivers out there that are capable of handling a full load of Polk LSI's, one of them being the Sunfire TGR401, TGR mk3 and perhaps something from the Pioneer Elite SC line.(not too sure on that one). Jay1, I like the look of that Onkyo, but I don't think that one would be up to the task when pushed. Most manufacturers like to pad their specs when it comes to what the real numbers are, and I have a bunch of experience with the LSI's... a full 4ohm load of these, all channels driven, is the most demanding load I gave to a Yamaha receiver with similar specs to that Onk, and it was too much for it to handle. I got my first Sunfire amp shortly thereafter.

The trouble here is that 4ohm loads place a lot of stress on the smaller power supply(transformer) inside most receivers, and when the demands of a movie soundtrack call instant power from these small power supplies, the receiver just cannot deliver. This causes 'clipping" that can kill speakers, or the receiver itself.

Your best play here is to get a receiver that allows for preouts. This will let you use the receiver as a preamp and allow the external amp to do the rest. Some like Emo for this , and it is not a bad choice. I would also reccomend Parasound, Sunfire and Adcom as possible alternatives.

The more power the better with the Polks, but I disagree about the 55lb, 9 channel, rated to deliver 320 watt at 3ohm Onkyo, not being able to drive 7 speakers with 5.5" woofers crossed at 80 hz.

That spec you sight also specifies "one channel driven"... what happens if 3 channels ask for the same power at the same time? The Sunfire models I sighted double down into 4ohm, delivering 400wpc, and can do so to all channels simultaniously.

Not saying here that the Onky is a bad unit, or cannot deliver, as I have no experience with it. What I am saying is that for the money the OP is looking to spend, that a better solution can be found.
Personally, I have decided to go with my Pioneer Elite SC-37 as a pre/pro and use my Sunfire Signature 425/5 to supply the juice. For the demands that the LSi's present, The OP is likely best served to do the same.

Yes the power output drops with more then 1 channel, but the fact that the amp section is stable at 3 ohm is all the info needed. The channels that arent being used also allow for extra power to be available to the remaining channels that are being used. I'm 100% confident that this receiver will drive those LSi speakers. Given the price, OP has no reason not to try, and can easily add an external amp with the $1.1k remaining in his $2k budget if he isnt satisfied.

Denon AVR-4311CI will comfortably power 4 ohm speakers. There is a deals thread in the forums, check it out and see if street price is within your budget.

Not sure were you're getting the amp from, but A4less says it's sold out. You can still get a 7 channel Outlaw amp for that price.

http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/7125.html

It may at first appear that the Outlaw is less powerful, but note that its power rating is for all channels driven 20hz-20khz. The Onkyo's rating is for 2 channels.