I think you've got it a bit flip-flopped, audionirvana, but I agree with your intent. HDMI is going to put the analog workload on the receiver (staying in the digital domain upstream of it), and a $500 receiver is likely to have a lower quality analog section than the stock BDP-83 - as a result, the analog input to the receiver from the BDP-83 is likely to sound better because it bypasses the DAC's and goes straight to the amplification with minimal influence from the receiver's internal analog section. A higher-end unit will have a better analog section with better D/A conversion performance, thus making HDMI a more appealing option.