Onkyo - what kind of sound?

Hard to say, mostly they are on the brighter side but some of the higher end ones can be a little warmer.  The pure audio mode warms things up a little for music.

Cool, thanks Paul.

I'll try to audition each of them but wanted to get a basic idea before hand.  On paper I like the featureset of the Pioneer but things may well change once I hear them.

Many thanks

I think they've changed recently.

My 905 sounds slightly warm, however I heard the 708 and it is brighter.  Whether this is because it is lower down the product range and / or because it is a newer model I am not too sure.  The warmer sounds better to my ears.

I would have a listen first if I was you. 

Amadeus, i'd be looking forward to your findings on A3010, SC LX 85 and 3009.