I was going to make the same recommendation as voltronic! It's not impossible to find really nice 2 channel receivers, but since they're not as common, you generally will pay more than for an AVR that can play stereo just fine.
My 2003-era Denon 6.1 receiver recently died. I replaced it with the Denon AVR-S720W this week. So far, I'm extremely happy with it. I do use it for a 6.2 surround setup for films, but also frequently listen to music in 2.2 (I just built 2 18" subs, but that's for another thread!).
Also like voltronic, I bought mine refurbed from the same place. It carries a Denon 1 year warranty, so I didn't feel like it was a huge risk. Came to me looking brand new and had all of the brand new accessories. I paid about $60 over your budget, but still feel like it's a great value for something I can use for music and films.
To address your other items in your wishlist: the HDMI pass through works great, and it supports ARC if your TV does (my projector does not). I tested the bluetooth and it works fine. They are also releasing firmware upgrades periodically which is a nice bonus.