Even as a diehard Yamaha fan, I can admit that the "house sound" can be a little uninspiring with certain kind of music. They shine with jazz and classical, and well-recorded rock music. Put on some "fun" music, classic hard rock or metal or electronic, and you'll be wondering where the "fun" went.
But that's what tone controls and equalizers are for. At least with the Yamaha sound you get more or less a blank slate to play with.
I really like the Sansui sound for the kind of music the Yamahas fall flat with. NAD too. I guess what I need is a setup with two different preamps and some sort of switcher. I'm gonna end up like some of these dudes with a wall full of amplifiers and preamps someday probably. LOL
As for the thread topic I've been wondering about those Onkyos. The prices are extremely reasonable on them. My general experience with Onkyo has been similar to Yamaha though, flat and accurate but a little too flat sometimes when you're looking for your music to give you a kick in the pants.