I don't even think Sanyo makes a receiver.

Yeah, I know this debate, I was just playing devil's advocate. I tend to side with your point, sluggo, that D/As, circuit design, etc do make a difference.

That being said, I wouldn't stake anything on passing a blind test. There is some serious personal phycological warfare and pressure in blind testing. The reason you never see the #1 company promoting blind tests is because they know blind tests are set up to make the taker fail, in other words, look inconsistent. Nobody wants to look like a chump and the stress and second guessing usually produce results that would reflect somebody who can't tell the difference. I've read about wine tasters who can't tell the difference between red and white wines while doing blind testing. When was the last time you saw any blind test conclude with a clear and definitive winner? Usually its the underdog claiming to be just as good as the big guy because everybody couldn't tell a difference. I just think there is more to the eye when it comes to blind testing. No pun intended.

So buy a 990 and be done with it.

But, the 990 does not have Logic 7. DPL IIx and Logic 7 have the same end goal in mind: 7 channels of output info from 2 to 5 channels of input info. They are similar, but not the same. There will be audible differences.

Also, because the 990 digitizes the 5.1 inputs, there can possibly be differences there as well vs a pre/pro with a straight through analog path.

Plus, some people consider more things than just audio quality when making a buying decision like this. Build quality, ability to do hardware upgrades, where the unit is manufactured, etc.

If it was as simple as you put forth, then all of us would already have a Rotel 1068 (which had DPL IIx long before the 990) and life wouldn't be interesting at all.

If a tree falls in the forest and there's no one there to hear it - if it makes a sound is it in mono, stereo, or surround?

Actually, since by definition there must be an actuator, vibrator, transmitter and receiver for sound to exist, if the tree falls and nobody hears it, there is no sound since we are lacking the receiver! BTW, a real star wars would be absolutely silent since there is no transmitter in the void of outer space!

Jay

True story : a tree fell in a forest belonging to my parents. No sound until it hit the ground. But along the way it caught the skin of my friend's thumb and brought it all the way to ground while he remained standing up. The tree hitting the ground was mono, the scream was mono. The echo of the scream was surround and lasted a long time.

Get me a processor for $ 99 that does what the 990 does and I'll use the savings on getting better speakers or source. A cheaper processor may therefore mean better sound.

Rent or pick up the DVD's for Firefly (Joss Whedon's very short-lived space/western TV series), or catch the movie this September ("Serenity") - there are no sound effects during scenes taking place in a vacuum.

Hey, if there wasn't a big rumble at the passing of a star destroyer, what would I need a home theater for?

I'm new to this whole "audiophile" discussion, but not new to music in general. After purchasing an SVSubwoofer two months ago, I realized that the rest of my gear (Sony et al) that I had been happy with for the past 7 years was weak. Since then, I've gone outlaw, axiom, and onix.

I am a critic and skeptic about most things, especially overpriced things. But I'm also a learner and researcher, which is how I found this place, as well as the others.

I can't comment on differences I did NOT hear (i.e., cables, break in, etc) but on the differences I DID hear...

RE: The $1000 Receiver vs. the $99 - I promise you will hear a difference. I had the blind willing person nearby, and then we reversed roles.

I picked the Outlaw over Sony 100% of the time.
So did she.

Why? All-in-one-power vs. separates, better DACS, nicer remote, who knows - but the difference was obvious as can be.

I WANTED to NOT hear a difference. I wanted to SAVE my money and NOT buy this overpriced stuff (not realizing at the time what a value outlaw is).

RE: The CD player...Onix XCD88 ($299 - and like Outlaw, a great value) versus Kmart Special ($39) - Again, sorry, the difference was there. Again I picked it 100% of the time. Better D/A? Some other "jitter" BS I don't understand? Beats me...but there is no doubt one is better than the other.

(Ok, I admit "better" is subjective, so we can just agree on "different." I like my music clear, smooth, without distortion, and as the performer intended. That's "better" to me.)

I didn't pay that much expecting to HEAR it, though. I expected to get ripped off. But what I did get is something that is a MUCH better build quality, is not going to die from over use, has features I never dreamed of, and, in the case of the CD player - a motor whose spinning I cannot hear. (Before ya comment - I left BOTH run while doing the test, lest I be fooled by THAT racket...)

Anyway - between $1000 and $5000 - I doubt the difference is there - the weaknesses were tackled when you jumped to $1000. Between $99 and $1000 -there is a difference, believe it.

Why is $1000 the magic number? What about a $750 processor? I don't understand this argument at all.

Because the 990 is roughly $1000, that's how this got started.

In any case, I think the distinction was between the every-day off-the-shelf mass produced consumer machines, and something a little better (and more expensive).

That was as opposed to the distinction among high-end gear, where the argument is that once you cross the threshold of PRETTY GOOD EQUIPMENT, you're not going to hear the difference between models, despite a super high price.