John, i think you're right, having the amps disconnected will not give any appreciable advantage.
the unmodified units, at $500. are an excellent price and so, if the warranty is valid in Canada, i will buy one.

re the specs, they don't seem so typical to me as they don't say something like: max instantaneous power with one ch. driven to 10% distortion:250 Watts; total power (7 ch.): 1750 Watts.
Something i've seen many times in specs.

See: http://www.blu-ray.com/community/gallery.php?member=Gelli
or: Axiom Gallery