I've been looking to upgrade an old (c. 1985) stereo Beosystem 5500-based system driving a pair of Bohlender-Graebener Radia 520s via a Carver TFM-22 amp and a custom-built 96l 12" sealed sub (Q around 0.6) to include 5.1 or 7.1 surround. The primary display device is a Sony 32" HDTV. (A pair of Carver Silver speakers requiring repairs to the ribbons sits in storage, as well).

So, naturally, I find Outlaw's offerings interesting.

I particularly liked the idea of retaining a good stereo amp for the L+R mains, and using M200 monoblocks for the other speakers (considering 2 or 4 Radia 420s and a Radia 220 center). Of course, then the question of speaker-level signals to the speakers or line-level signals to amps near the speakers comes up. And, if considering the latter, should I use balanced signal transmission? Soundhound's criticisms of balanced circuits throughout noted, I wonder if balanced input and output stages for a run of 65' (wiring distance to farthest speaker in a 25x16 room) are justified. 65 feet is starting to get up there, in terms if length.

Soundhound made it sound as if the preponderance of odd harmonic distortions in balanced designs, even when confined to I/O stages, render any such design not worth considering. If that were the case, then the noise-immunity afforded by using balanced lines on long component interconnects would be for naught, if only to have to suffer odd harmonic distortion. Clearly, it must be possible to manage such distortion in managed systems. The question is, then, does the 990 do it well enough on it's balanced interfaces?

Bluntly, is anyone actually using, or planning to use, the balanced outputs on a 990, or have reason to believe that Soundhound blew a legitimate issue out of the realm of audability when it comes to a $1000 component (IOW, if it mattered that much, the 990 wouldn't even be a contender.)