Quote:
Wouldn't it be great to have an amplifier like this that had a HDMI for its audio input?

Probably not, for a couple of reasons.

Connectivity: What are you going to connect it's HDMI input to? I don't want to integrate a full surround processor into my amp, so I'd need my processor to have a dedicated HDMI audio output that provides conveniently decoded, processed, EQ'd, and level-balanced multichannel PCM separate from the HDMI video output that goes to my display. There isn't such an animal available now.

DAC's are also an issue. The method by which they amplify an analog signal is conveniently called "digital," but these "digital" amps are still acting on an analog signal. If you input a digital signal, you need to add a multichannel DAC into the amplifier. That DAC would convert the multichannel PCM into analog. But since your pre-amp/processor will still need DAC's and analog outputs for use with the subwoofer and with other amplifiers, that means you just bought two multichannel DAC's.
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gonk
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