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.