Without looking them up I would have recommended the Onkyo because I think they are more user friendly. My father-in-law has my old Onkyo, I have an Integra, and my Sister-in-law has a Denon.
After looking them up, I'd recommend the Denon because it is "rated" for low impedance drive capability and has high current/descrete amplifiers. While I know this is partially marketing hype, the addition weight, nearly 4 lbs, give another indication that the power suppliers just might be more substantial.
I do think that going with a surround sound receiver will yield more "joy" at this level because the blu-ray HD sound is far superior to standard DVD and stereo recievers cannot decode these formats. I personally think that this difference is far more significant than what you'll find between a stereo and HT receiver in this price range.
Having said that, if movies, specifically blu-ray, are not on the menu, then I've always thought that the Onkyo stereo receivers would be a great bang for the buck. The TX-8050 is listed on Amazon for $314 with free shipping and has a lot of nice features.
After looking them up, I'd recommend the Denon because it is "rated" for low impedance drive capability and has high current/descrete amplifiers. While I know this is partially marketing hype, the addition weight, nearly 4 lbs, give another indication that the power suppliers just might be more substantial.
I do think that going with a surround sound receiver will yield more "joy" at this level because the blu-ray HD sound is far superior to standard DVD and stereo recievers cannot decode these formats. I personally think that this difference is far more significant than what you'll find between a stereo and HT receiver in this price range.
Having said that, if movies, specifically blu-ray, are not on the menu, then I've always thought that the Onkyo stereo receivers would be a great bang for the buck. The TX-8050 is listed on Amazon for $314 with free shipping and has a lot of nice features.