Onkyo 576 vs Denon 788

the primary feature differences will be:

788 has better Audyssey (full MultEQ vs 2EQ) and component video upconversion....

... but the 576 has an extra HDMI input and Dynamic EQ, it's a year newer and may have some other minor features that the 788 doesn't have.

neither unit has analog video > HDMI upconversion. the 788's component upconversion means you need to run two cables to the TV (one for HDMI, and one component video for all other analog sources), whereas if you use the 576 for video switching you need to run a video cable for every type of video source you will be using.

The 788 has a higher level of Audyssey which also works in the subwoofer range, Audyssey on the 576 doesn't cover the sub. For that reason I'd go with the Denon.

Nice thing about digital, it's either there or it's not.;

Dynamic EQ is really great at keeping the surround field and bass level consistent as the overall volume drops. I would say that if you will do most of your listening at low-to-moderate volumes, Dynamic EQ will be more important.

The louder you like to listen, the less important Dynamic EQ becomes and the more you will appreciate the superior resolution of the full MultEQ.

The greatest advantage of full MultEQ is that it has extremely high resolution filtering on the subwoofer channel, whereas 2EQ does not EQ the subwoofer at all. So if you have a room where you constantly have problems with booming bass or you have "nodes" that create very uneven bass peaks/nulls in the room, MultEQ can really help smooth it out.

you'd be hard pressed to find better value for $250. the only thing close is the Marantz 4002 refurb at accessories4less:
http://www.accessories4less.com/make...urround/1.html

very similar in features to the others (3 HDMI, LPCM audio over HDMI, component upconversion but not HDMI, decent power and sound quality), but no Audyssey and no multizone functions.

you have done well grasshopper, I'm not sure there are any better options unless you were to continuously troll ebay / craigslist seeking a bargain on a used model.

Yes Monoprice. I bought some the other day when they had a special on for 94cents a pair. but even their regular price is pretty much as cheap as anywhere.