ANything beat onkyo for ht receiver $500?

I do! I do! In a dedicated room too!

... uh... but I'll need to borrow someone's credit card for the Denon & HK buy in.

... but it will be a blind test too. ;-)

Yes Iplaynaked, I really do know nothing... but if you insist on fulfilling your moniker in the live test you suggest, I think I'll pass (particularly if you are the gender and age of most of the people who post on here!!!)...LOL :-)

Denon and HK are also good, and Sony and Yamaha make some nice receivers as well. Each one has a "house sound", and it may come down to preferences. For example Onkyo is relying on WRAT switching amps which provide a detailed and forward presentation - the opposite of Yamaha's more laid back "Natural Sound". I really like the HK's presentation, but do they hold up as well as the others? I have read they don't, and my mother-in-law has one and one of the channels on it crapped out after about two or three years of light use.

Will be curious to hear how it goes if somebody steps up to this challenge - keep the playing field level with all units going for close to five hundred bucks new on the street.

Comparitively speaking... Onkyo v Sony... the Sony is head and shoulders more a forward (geographically speaking) sound than is the Onkyo. the O is vastly more refined and laid back. S possesses much greater slam or impact and the bass has more authority.

Now owning one of each, albeit the Sony is of their 'es' line up from a few years back, speaker matching will make a very good bit of difference in each case.

I can run much higher eff speakers on either one, however I prefer to use lower eff on the Sony.

A better pc for the Onkyo does help out too... though not as grandly as I had hoped. All in all, each unit has a bit something different to offer sonically but I don't feel the Onkyo is anytjhing close to being an in your face or hard to take device... in fact I think it is close to being spot on with it's presentation, and most pleasing.