Well it is very true that many AVR manufacturers have traded features for power for the most part. That seems to be the norm. Cutting power supplies is only one of the ways many use to offset such costs. When Onkyo dropped Audyssey in favor of their very own AccuEQ, it hurt them more than they will ever admit.
Back in the early 2000's I owned a 700 Series level Onkyo AVR. Really liked it, but the darn thing got way too hot and really concerned me. That was going on even at moderate listening levels. Not long after, I sent the Onkyo back and bought a Pioneer 1015 IIRC. On the very same speakers, the Pioneer barely got warm at best. That was true even at more robust levels. As such, that was the last time that I ever owned an Onkyo.
It is good to see Onkyo improving their own AccuEQ. Power levels still seem to be as good as, if not better, than most others. By all accounts, the excessive heat and/or HDMI board issues have been rectified. I personally can NOT confirm that first hand b/c I have NOT owned an Onkyo AVR since the early 2000's. However, I am open to giving Onkyo another chance when the time comes. Right now it is a wait and see for me. One-where there is absolutely no hurry.
Cheers,
Phil