Every manufacturer out there, great, good or bad, does some things better than others. When it comes to a HT piece, where there are probably things done in house and other parts purchased/sourced outside, there is obviously a greater probability that there can be an issue (it's not as cookie cutter as a mass market receiver). Many people go for a high end pre/pro so they can have the best of both worlds, great HT and music in a single box (for whatever reasons they have - space in the rack, other family members use it, etc.). It's for reasons like this that I've moved in the direction of a 2-channel preamp with HT bypass. I have integrated AV systems in both the main and one spare system and have another 2-channel system where the preamp does have HT bypass but I have not used it. While this solution may not be good for everyone, it works well for me. It allows me to have the 2-channel I want and I view receivers as disposable. I just got a receiver (factory refurb Marantz 5010) in the spare system where I have a preamp with HT Bypass. It replaced a receiver (Marantz 6003) I've had for 7 years and I rotated the old receiver to a guest room. I've had expensive pre/pros and for me the solution doesn't work for me (even if the receiver has an issue it's easy enough to enjoy HT in a back-up system) and have know other people who have had issues with various brands (a pre/pro is going to be more complicated than an analog preamp). Let's hope that the issue gets resolved for the OP who has waiting a long time.
