i just got the denon 3805 to use as a pre/pro. i couldnt find anything in its price range with its features as just a processor. unfortunately, receivers are updated at a faster pace than pre/pros, so you can get a receiver with newer features that you may want. its odd how seperates are touted as "better" always when most of what you see is dated. granted some offer upgradeability, but they dont all! i would have purchased a pre/pro instead of my receiver if i could have found one that fit my needs, because i feel that usually seperates will give you better audio performance. however, i am not ONLY interested in straight audio and i must say that the denon 3805 is superb at audio anyway.
dont jump on the poor guy for getting the features he wants from a new receiver and supplementing its lack of power by getting seperate amps.