Yeah, I think what it comes down to for OP is, Sony has left a bad taste in your mouth, understandably so. And the thought of the solution being to drop down a model in their lineup seems crazy. Also understandable.
but, plenty of 700 owners, including me who made that step down, happy with the performance of the 700. So the question is, is that badexperience with the 800 bad enough to spend the extra $350 on a different brand, or go against instinct and save some money.
Personally, I would 100% understand the logic for either move. (Im the one sitting here wondering if I should get external amplification to drive my front 3 even though my receiver seems to be powering them just fine )