Ok, here are the initial impressions (photos in the evening as my room was a mess after installation).
Looks: My wife and I had a disagreement about the aesthetics of this HT. I thought the industrial design with clean cuts and black glossy finish is perfect. She thought it looks like it belongs to a retail store or office, and liked the more "woody" look of our previous 2-channel setup. The receiver does stand out a bit because of its size - it sort of dominates the other items in our living room which are tiny and slim. The center and front speakers are are definitely good looking and manageable in size, and we put the sub in a corner to draw attention away from it.
Installation: It was a breeze. Everything is colour-coded and it took 10 minutes to wire it up completely. Of course, this was a "kutcha" install - I am planning to wall mount the surround speakers and cut the speaker wires to the right length. HDMI connections (2 inputs and one output) were straightforward, and I could get the system working within minutes.
SQ: I tried very few options so far - a basic audio CD and a DVD. Overall VERY impressed with the sound quality even in basic stereo mode. The PLII surround processing worked very well for the DVD, less so for the audio CD which sounded a little artificial when enhanced with surround sound. Keep in mind that this is my first 5.1 channel system, so it may be my lack of appreciation for surround sound music. However the clarity of sound in the action sequences in the DVD blew my mind. I can't wait to try "true" 5 -channel sound from a Bluray disc. Also I was playing this late at night and had to keep the volume low. Will give it a proper spin on the weekend.
Overall, I am very glad I got this baby home. More updates to follow!
(just kidding).
... ? Post them first 
