I work for H3-Digital, a home cinema company in Phuket, Thailand - as such I generally get to play around (read install) with receivers, amplifiers and speakers at all levels. I had heard some good things about this amplifier and a client requested one specifically for his custom home theatre.
Lets get one thing straight, this thing is BIG and weighs nearing 30Kgs, Its built well and looks fantastic located in the equipment rack. We used the silver coloured receiver, its a much classier looking beast - although doesnt look quite as mean.
Set-up can be as difficult or as easy as you like, the 9600 has HDMI inputs/outputs and even scales up images to 720p. The microphone MRAC system made speaker/listening position setup a doddle.
Finally we talk about the sound, Amazing - I know its an expensive piece of kit, and it SHOULD sound good but that still doesnt prepare you for how good this thing sounds, even compared to other fairly high-end receivers at half the price, It doesnt sound twice as good but if I had the money it would be worth the difference.
The only bad point is that the wife is likely to kill you if you bring one of these home.
Ben Hobbs
Home Cinema and Smarthomes in Phuket, Thailand