I would like the top button (the one that currently pauses) to return me to my previous location in the menu. ... I realize that Empeg couldn't just make this the standard behavior of the top button because it probably wouldn't be desired by many (majority?) people.

Don't be so sure. This feature has been requested more than once.

One possible way to do this might be to assign the pause/unpause function to the button-press on the rotary (volume) knob. I don't have my empeg handy at the moment to check this, but I don't think pressing the volume control knob does anything important in play mode. It seems like this would leave the front panel buttons both more functional and more intuitive when you have selected a song or playlist and the empeg is playing: left/right buttons move you left and right in the menu structure; top/bottom buttons move you up and down through the menu structure; turning the volume knob makes it louder/quieter and pressing the volume knob would pause/unpause.

Am I missing something here?

tanstaafl.

"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"