When you buy a more expensive Home Cinema amp, you have to be sure that it clearly outperforms lower priced models . Comparing Onkyo's TX-NR708 with its baby brother the 608, you can immediately see that the 708 has all the 608s wonderful specification, but also boasts wired networking, slightly more power, one extra HDMI input and front pre-amp out sockets.

This means that the 708 offers a clear advantage over the 608, for those customers who need the extra facilities - it's one of the least expensive HDMI 1.4 amps to offer networking for example. However, if you don't actually need those facilities, then the £350 extra you would spend on a 708, would put you within spitting distance of Onkyo's awesome new  TX-NR808, which blows both the 608 and the 708 right out of the water, in terms of sound quality! The 808 has all the 708's facilities, plus twin HDMI out, plus a much bigger chassis and a huge power supply, giving it a weight of nearly 3 stone - that's 50% more than the 708. You pays your money and you takes your choice - the 708 is great, but the 808 is even better!