Hopefully, this is an indication that Onkyo understands that they need to discount AVR's to regain their foothold in the marketplace and develop a reputation for reliably.
If so, I am impressed. Given their uncertain future, it would be easier to just milk what ever last value they could out of the Onkyo name, than to forego profits today with an eye towards future payoff. They seem to be playing a long-term game. I hope their new owners are committed to keeping them in the market as a major player as well!
I guess for the standard BestBuy shopper, the absence of pre-outs is not a big deal, but I'd have a hard time buying an AVR which doesn't provide the option to use external amps should the need arise.
As a side note: Whereas 5 years ago I would not even give the THX certification a "meh", it seems today a relevant assurance that the amp section is competent!
I don't know how much THX cert costs them, but now would be the wrong time to drop it.