new processor decision....help me decide

I don't think you can decode or process twice. If the oppo decodes then it will send an analog signal to the pre/processor. If you use the hdmi out for audio then the processor will decode and the Dac in the oppo will not be used.

You can decode twice if, in between, you re-encode. This is rare in multichannel but is possible.

Kr4, is it desirable?

I wouldn't want to double decode if it was possible that is why i wrote what i wrote....

I can't see any reason why it would be desirable to decode - re-encode - decode. Makes no sense. If you want to use room correction and bass management, the processor needs to work with a digital signal. Therefore, you are best off feeding it a digital signal (i.e., don't have the Oppo convert to analog). If you do that, the processor will need to convert analog back to digital so that it can run the room correction, and then convert it back to analog again. For that reason, if you need room correction, put as much money as possible into the source. I have an extremely difficult room, and for me the Anthem ARC works really well. But I've never tried any other room correction systems in my room. Kal is right that the Emotiva piece isn't out yet. It looks strong for the money, but I wouldn't buy an Emotiva processor until I saw that they have solved all of their bugs.

For that price, I'd give serious consideration also to the NAD T 175-HD. You can get a factory re-furb from Spearit Sound for that budget. I believe the NAD has Audyssey MultEQ XT (not sure how that compares to the Integra's system) and an upgradeable architecture to help prevent it from becoming obsolete.