Chris, in their basic function as amplifiers those two can be viewed as essentially equal, so go with the features you want at the best price you can get. My view is that the Audyssey MultEQ XT auto calibration and room EQ gives it a definite edge, along with the rest of its feature set.

Canadian deals on audio equipment are even more of a mystery to me, of course, but that price on the 809 that you mention sounds like a good deal.

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Enjoy the music, not the equipment.