A receiver is the cost-effective purchase in the vast majority of circumstances and benefits from economies of production scale compared to separate processors and amplifiers. The Onkyo 828 isn't suggested since, despite the numbering, it constitutes a "downgrade" relative to the 818(the 929 is actually the successor to the 818). Among the differences, the 828 has Audyssey MultEQ processing, down two steps from the top MultEQ XT32 which the 818(and 929)has. The best buy at this time appears to be the factory refurbished 818 for about $580 from
Accessories4less . These units should be at least as reliable as a brand-new one.
