Hey Wingnut. Longtime lurker, but I remember reading this post a while back and feeling a bit like I was in the same boat as you since I'm currently running an Integra DHC 40.1. I'm mostly an HT guy these days. Love live concerts. Do my 2 channel listening via laptop and headphones. Finally decided to pick up a SBT last week to do some 2 channel listening through my big system. Hooked it up via analogue to the CD inputs on my 40.1 - ran in direct mode or whatever. Sounded absolutely horrendous (messed around with all sorts of settings) to the point where I thought something was wrong with the SBT. Finally said f it and plugged my SBT directly into one of my amps. Complete night and day difference - sounds amazing bypassing the Integra. So, best I can tell, Integra still does some type of "processing" to the music coming through the analogue inputs and not in a good way. Kind of bummed as I don't feel like rewiring my system every time I want to go 2 channel - not really sure what to do. So I guess a note to anyone running an Integra looking to add a DAC for 2 channel listening - don't.
