No, you are paying more for one more year and one less mode (the 9.8 lacked the mode that the 885 offered, and I think the 9.9 and 886 are the same way). Seriously. They offer it because Integra is their premium line, sold direct to consumers through dealers or custom installers, and I believe that there are some restrictions about selling Integra at all over the internet. The 886, on the other hand, is an "Onkyo Professional" product that is supposedly only being sold to commercial dealers for use in commercial installations (business, education, etc.).