Onkyo TX SR806 7.1 channel Receiver

The Onkyo TX SR806 is one value packed piece of equipment. I used it to replace my Yamaha RX V2700 (another excellent receiver) to be able to handle the new surround codecs, Dolby True HD and DTS Master Audio within my receiver. I was very nervous about swapping out my Yamaha for the Onkyo because of the amazing power and beautifully full sound of the Yamaha. I am however happy that I did it. The Onkyo packs plenty of juice for my 7.1 Paradigm, Studio series surround setup in my dedicated theater. It processes all of the new codecs flawlessly from my Panasonic BD35 Blu ray player. A note to people wanting to use your receiver to decode Dolby True HD and DTS Master Audio, make sure you set your Blu ray player to output the sound via HDMI (of course) bit stream instead of linear PCM. Otherwise the player will decode for you if it is capable. The THX surround listening modes have very sweeping sound stages perfect for all types of movies. I have watched several Blu ray discs since making the change and all I can say is set back and let your ears enjoy the ride. There are more than enough inputs (especially HDMI) and the video processing within the Onkyo is very stable and solid. I haven't noticed any noticeable artifacts when the unit is upconverting standard definition signals to 1080p. If you want to spend over $2000 you may see some slight improvements in receivers from manufacturers like Integra but for the minimal difference the Onkyo TX SR806 is going to be tough to beat.