My Onkyo TX-NR905 (silver, my favorite) was a beast also (weight and power) -- Onkyo doesn't make them like that anymore! Replaced it in the living room with a Marantz SR7012, transferred the Onkyo to my bedroom, then replaced it again in the bedroom with a Marantz SR6014. A little regretful I didn't go the Denon route. Know I'm in the minority, but I like the esthetics of the Marantz units -- however, as Amir says, they are definitely "form over function". I have had my suspicions for a long time regarding Marantz's highly-touted HDAM modules, but chose not to heed them, and now those suspicions have been fairly well confirmed.
For the most part, this is the kind of ASR review I was hoping to see for the Denon X8500H. May just decide another change is in order once the Denon X8500HA (8K model) comes out in 2021. Then I'll need to open a second-hand AV shop
(got a few more older units in storage).
Still have the Onkyo and it still performs very well - don't quite know what to do with it. People are talking about the heat of the X4700H, but the Onkyo was a real frying pan as well (it was the HDMI video processors that made it so hot, though).
Great review, Amir, and I know these are very time consuming, Thanks !!!