IMHO there are a couple of other choices out there. In the budget realm is the Anthem AVM2. Works great for HT and sounds darn good as a stereo preamp. Has direct bypass. On the other end of the scale is the Krell HTS2. I have used them both. While they each have a different sound they are both very nice pieces.
Hot Setup? Pre/Pro for HT and 2ch
I would like to know what setup (products/configuration) people believe to be the best for Home Theater which also allows for audiophile quality 2 channel sound. I have heard that HT pre-amp processors are horrible for use as two channel pre-amps and I'm wondering how people integrate the two different formats to achieve optimum results.