With my 885, I lucked out because a local authorized dealer was available. However, had that not been the case IMS, I would have been responsible for shipping at least one-if not both-ways.

Though I appreciate your view on future 886 updates given the hassle involved, I hope it doesn't come back to bite you if you ever decide to sell. I say this because when I put my 885 up for sale years ago, one of the first questions I was asked by most buyers was if the latest firmware was installed. The nice thing about many current receivers and prepros is that owner firmware updates are included standard, so future buyers won't be as likely to focus on the unit's firmware status.