I think we have a couple different debates going here.

First, there is the original "double blind test" concept - which is a very interesting issue that is something of a "holy grail" among many in the hobby (as a way to try to prove either the value of highly exotic cables or the lack of difference between mid-priced and high-priced gear). It is often considered the most effective way to debunk extreme audio tweaks, although (as has been mentioned several times) the tests that have actually been conducted are often disregarded by the very people they were meant to disprove. Double-blind testing, the methods for implementing it, the results it can yield, the statistical meaning of those results, and the reactions those results have produced in the past are all extremely interesting, and there's some good general stuff in this thread.

Then there is the debate about whether there is (or should be) any audible difference between surround processors at different price points, and that debate seems to be trying to focus on the benefits (or lack thereof) in the 990 as compared to a less expensive product such as the 950. In my reading of this thread, I still don't see anyone claiming that you have to spend a specific amount of money to achieve satisfactory performance. The suggestion that a piece of equipment available below a particular price is automatically going to be cheap junk should clearly be recognizable as a flawed over-generalization (especially around here, since so many of us came to Outlaw looking for as much bang for our buck as we could get). There have been numerous Model 950 owners over the last few years (myself included) who have greatly enjoyed the 950 - the availability of a new product does not in any way invalidate that enjoyment. It certainly doesn't relegate the 950 to the level of "cr*p" or push it into the same class of product as $99 receivers that are going to be riddled with cost-imposed compromises. How will the 990 compare to the 950? In theory, improvements should be incremental - new processing modes that offer benefits, superior DAC's that may yield benefits in overall sound, and similar changes. The sonic advantages of the 990 may (depending on how the unit performs once we actually have them in our hands) be enough for some people to justify an upgrade - for them, the cost involved is worth the incremental improvement. Others may find the sonic advantages (whatever they may be) to not justify the cost, but the added features and capabilities may lead them to make a purchase. Many will simply pat the faceplate of their 950 (or their Rotel 1068, or their Yamaha receiver, or whatever they have) and decide that any benefits that might exist aren't enough to justify changing anything - that what they have now is just as good for their needs and their ears.