It makes sense comparing Onkyo TX-NR696 vs Onkyo TX-8020 because they both are able to give some premium features.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Onkyo TX-NR696 has 7.2 versus 2.0 for Onkyo TX-8020. Regarding power, then TX-NR696 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 165/6 when TX-8020 has a power of 90/6. The THD is 0.08% for the TX-NR696 but 0.03% for the TX-8020.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, AK4458 384 KHz/32-bit for TX-NR696 and 192 KHz/24-bit for the TX-8020. Only the TX-NR696 supports Bi-amping feature. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.
Only the Onkyo TX-NR696 can connect to the Internet via WI-FI. Only the TX-NR696 has Bluetooth support. The Onkyo TX-NR696 has support for AirPlay, AirPlay 2, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay. Only the TX-NR696 supports Spotify. Only the TX-NR696 provides HDMI signal transmission in standby mode. The TX-NR696 can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the TX-8020. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the TX-NR696. Only the TX-NR696 supports HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC). Unfortunately, HDMI eARC is not available on monitored devices. Of the two receivers in our comparison, HDMI CEC is present in only the TX-NR696. These compared receivers have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. An ECO mode is not present in each of the AV receivers. The setup assistant will help you configure Onkyo TX-NR696.
Only the TX-NR696 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the TX-NR696.