MikeSugar

It can be. As with any piece of electronics, and especially power amps, receivers and pre-amps or surround processors, ventillation is an important consideration. However, if you don't have the room in your A/V stand to allow for 2-5 inches of unrestricted airflow above the component in question (in your case, the receiver) there are alternatives out there. In my case, I am using the Antec A/V cooler placed immeditely on top of my 875. It is very effective, even on the low setting, and the backlighting perfectly matches the blue backlit highlights on the 875.