I have the Onkyo 703 which, except for the HDMI, is almost identical to the 803. I bought it because I thought that it was feature rich and had all the capabilities that I was looking for. As you may have read in one of my other posts, I do not believe that you should do your video switching/ upconverting in your audio receiver, so I didn't want the HDMI feature, thus the 703 not the 803.
Also, as I have posted, I have had no problems driving my M80s with the Onkyo. Maybe that is because there is no problem with the Onkyo amp in the 703 or maybe it is because I do not listen at extremely loud levels. Extremely loud for me is 90-95 dB SPL. Just can't take that for any length of time.
I do believe that the power amplifier in the 703 is very similar or the same as in the 803. I am not sure how it compares to the "cheaper" Onkyo receivers.
I bought the Onkyo with the notion that I would get a seperate amp for at least the fronts/ center, so the 4 ohm M80s were not a factor in my decision. Even though I have had no problems driving my M80s with the Onkyo, I am still planning on buying a seperate amp. Why? Just because I want one, not that I need one.
Just a few thoughts.
