I am a home theater newbie, and am only responding because I recently faced the same decision.
I entered these forums determined to buy an AE700. While I read many positive comments and reviews on the 700, I also read the repeated advice: demo projectors in an actual storeroom to see what technology you prefer. I followed this advice and found (to my surprise!) that I far preferred the look of a DLP to the LCD projectors (including the AE700).
Perhaps the AE700 was misconfigured or displayed in a less optimal showroom, I won't pretend to know. I lack the vocabulary to describe the differences, but for me the decision was clear: DLP seemed more vibrant and sharp. Once I realized that I preferred the look of a DLP, my budget limited me to the two (that I found) DLP projectors I could find at AE700 prices: BenQ 7800 and Mitsubishi HC900. Some people suggested that a 4:3 DLP would provide more bang for the buck, but I really didn't bother looking into this.
Anyway, I guess what I am saying is that it is easy to get hung up on the endless differing opinions of the people here. I strongly suggest following the best opinion that I found: only your own eyes can tell you if it is a good projector for the money.