Hi Allan
I would def go take a listen to Rotel. I think they offer a great amp. I own the RB985 MKII which is a 5 channel 110watt amp.

When I got the amp and pre I compared to HK among
several others and thought the Rotel was much more neutral and clean than HK. I have it paired with Paradigm speakers, which make a great match.

You didn't mention which speakers you have. This can make a difference as amps sometimes have tendencies to sound better/worse with certain speakers. So I would audtion all amps with the same speakers you have in your house -or- get them to let you do a home test....Tony