It would be interesting if amps could be safely disconnected and use as a preamp. Find the cheapest 11 channel AVR, disconnect the amps and you have something that outperforms the AV7705 and AV8805 for example.
https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/denon/avr-x4500h.shtml
Service manual page 159 is promising. Protection Pass mode.
Actions
• This mode allows the power to be turned on without activating protections.
• This mode functions in the same way as normal power-on, except that protections are not activated.
• When using the protection pass mode, do not connect speakers to the speaker terminals.
This is if you shorted-out the amp or something like that, but maybe the amp clipping is also a protection feature. It's the only software switch that seems to be promising. I haven't had time to review the document to determine if there is a simple cable that can be removed.
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