Onyko or Yamaha (1 Viewer)

I've narrowed down the home theater systems that i'm looking to buy. Of Onkyo or Yamaha which receiver speaker package home theater systems are the best? I will buy the blu-ray player separately.

Either. Onkyo makes the "worst" (3500) and the best (no question it is the best pre-package, the 9400thx)Everything else is bookends between those two extremes.Which Onkyo anyway? They've made at least 5 different ones a year for 6 years straight. You can still find X300 still NIB.Which Yamaha? They make at least 3 each year. Tiger Direct just last month had NIB, their top version from 3 years ago.

I have a Yamaha, they are very good, i think it might come down to your needs, both receivers will have plenty of connection options but i would ask you if you are you going to calibrate the audio yourself using an SPL meter and disc or if you are you going to rely on the inbuilt calibration features of the receiver, if so its a choice between Audyssey on the Onkyo or YPAO on the Yamaha, in my opinion both calibration systems are not perfect and tend to get the subwoofer settings wrong, indeed are you getting a subwoofer for your system.

Are you buying the receivers with a speaker package, if so please provide links and i can give a better opinion on each system.

:EDIT: Oh you are going to buy one of those all in one packages, i would ask you to consider buying the receiver and speakers separately, you will benefit from better sound quality with less distortion at higher volume levels.

I currently have a Yamaha YSP-1000 and recently sold a Yamaha YSP-3000 and just purchased the Yamaha YHT-S401BL Blows them all away. After setting it up I was really impressed with the sound that comes from this little sound bar. I did consider a Bose Cinemate GS II but glad I went for the Yamaha. Voices are very clear, surround works and sounds great and good base and all can be tailored to your favorite listening.