My experience with the Oppo has been that the output levels at full range are pretty damn low. It's worth trying first, but for me there was just not enough volume by itself.
Also, it's single ended outputs only. Aside from super-expensive amps which are balanced only, the ICEPower and Hypex modules all want a balanced input. This is something the P7 will do for you rather nicely. Of course, you also get 2 channel to 7.1 channel switching, and 2 7.1 channel sources.
Another alternative may be one of the miniDSP units for home theaters. They include DSP, ADC, DAC and volume controls. Pretty spiffy and relatively cheap compared to the price of dedicated HT processors.
Also, it's single ended outputs only. Aside from super-expensive amps which are balanced only, the ICEPower and Hypex modules all want a balanced input. This is something the P7 will do for you rather nicely. Of course, you also get 2 channel to 7.1 channel switching, and 2 7.1 channel sources.
Another alternative may be one of the miniDSP units for home theaters. They include DSP, ADC, DAC and volume controls. Pretty spiffy and relatively cheap compared to the price of dedicated HT processors.