Pioneer SC-1523-K @ $999 vs. Denon X4000 @949 vs. Onkyo TX-NR929 @1099 vs. Pioneer Elite SC-72 @ 849.99

Hello,


I see that Amazon is having a sale on the Pioneer SC-1523-K for $999. I tried the SC-1323-K and did not care for it that much, and also thought that the plastic front panel was really cheap looking/feeling (when compared to my Onkyo 805 aluminum panel).


I know the 1523-K steps up to the ESS Sabre DAC 32-bit which I have read is substantially better than what is in the SC-1323-K, the Texas Instruments Aureus 24-bit.


Also does anyone know if the SC-1523-K has a metal front panel or still the cheap plastic of the 1323-K? Do all Pioneer front panels have plastic front panels?


Obvious other contenders are the X4000, Pioneer Elite SC-72, or the NR929 (which would be the successor to my 805 (kind of))


Obviously, there is the other plan of waiting until (hopefully later this year) for receivers with HDMI 2.0, but that's obviously not guaranteed to happen.


Any input would be helpful.