SOTA processors also bang for the buck

Kal,

I'll ask for a more specific answer next time I speak to him, but the tech who advised me hinted at "substantially identical" as I recall. He never flat out said it, though.

I do remember that he mentioned a few small differences, and he kind of chucked at the notion that they would make a difference in performance. I'll follow up here after my next conversation with him (if I get anything worth posting.)

However, it is possible that Onkyo discourages specific disclosure from the dual authorized service shops - for obvious reasons. I'm not sure where you're located, but my guess is that there is such a repair company local to you. Since you are such a charming fellow, you might be able to get the answer for yourself with a carefully worded inquiry.

Marty

I am not really that interested but I thought the issue had been resolved for quite a while (in an AVS thread with pix) and that the two were identical except for "pure/direct" and the front door.

Kal

Hi Kal, do you feel that your highend choices that you stated in the Integra thread match or beat the current hi value products in picture quality, flexibility etc or is it mainly audio quality that seperates them from hi value for money Onkyo,Denon etc. One can't help but get the impression that these "smaller" companies just don't have economies of scale that say Onkyo has and therefore one has to pay substantially more for the same technology in these high end products.
Thanks

I am not really concerned with video and, in fact, do not even have a display in my main system (except a 6"LED for Oppo menus). It is hard to be specific about flexibility/technology since, once set up, operations are pretty similar. So, I guess, the only issue is whether there are enough options to manage things and that is easy these days. Thus, it comes down to audio quality for me.

Kal

Hi Kal,

If memory serves me correctly and it sometimes "doesn't" I think there are three basic differences:

1) As you stated warrantee length
2) Equalizer band (Onkyo has fewer bands)
3) One of the Stereo/Direct or Pure 2 channel Audio functions is supposed to be different.

I don't think the equalizer bands affect the Audysee 32XT capability so that seems like a mute point for the most part.

And then of course the cosmetics.

I'm too busy to check each manual or spec sheet, but it seem to me those are it.