Is the 990 really one of the deepest pre-pros out there in terms of physical dimensions? (I can't imagine the published specs are wrong).

I placed my reservation without really paying attention to the size of this behemoth and now that mine is ready to ship, should I choose to commit, I am having second thoughts. It would require that I replace one entire piece of my A/V racks (or get very creative) just to have room for any connections.

Has the size of this thing been much of a problem for any of you early-adopters out there?

Hi numbnut:
Size has not been a problem.
My shelf is not 18 inches, but the feet (being inset a bit) allows the 990 to sit just fine (also the 755). I have a cabinet and took off the back years ago for access to wiring, physical connectors, etc. Also I added some "cabling-holders" [trying to think of a better name] in order to "bundle" my audio lines separately from the AC for obivous reasons. I even have a SONY DVD & CD 200 disc changer that's deeper than a 990 and it sits OK. So I wouldn't worry.

I had a solution in mind if the 990 was really going to be too deep [since I had made up my mind to get one anyway and work around it]. The work-around was to take a piece of finished 3/4" plywood and cut it to fit with the back end sticking out [if needed]...then screw it down to the existing shelf. Didn't have to.

Its been a big problem for me, possibly a return type problem. Its sitting on my floor right now because it won't fit into my rack and the next rack I buy will be custom made for my new house this winter. I am assuming most people already have nice racks that they like, so replacing them is not going to be a simple solution. I guess I could go buy some temporary rack, but then that would just add another 100-200 to the price of the 990, not to mention look cheap. Even the racks Outlaw sells will have some overflow, but that looks like it could be my best bet for the time being. I took a picture to show what it would look like in my current rack. Don't laugh.
http://ubb.outlawaudio.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=34;t=000068;p=2#000059
The 950 is two shelves down for comparison.

Here is just an overhead shot to show the difference in depth.

Thanks very much for the comparison photo, Jed. That is one Big Damn Preamp!! It's even bigger than my Aragon and Carver power amps.

If you were building equipment and had the opportunity to build a flagship 990 pre/pro and also use the same case for your future 1085 integrated amp with 7x85 watts a channel would you?

Thanks for the input, gang and especially the photos, Jed.

I may have to pass on the 990. I like the Sanus Natural series racks I use and would hate to replace them because of the added expense. Also, some compromise with my wife went into the rack selection due to aesthetics. (Not to lay any blame here, I like the looks of the Sanus in our family room, too, and don't want to make changes any time soon).

Too bad this beast is so massive. The feature set IS impressive, though.

Can I have your turn in line..

I'm in the same boat...I elected to pass on the 990 because of its size. I liked the price...it was just too damn big.

WOW, much bigger than I thought it would be.

How is the heat from it? I don't have a rack, I have a small shelf I set my 950 one, it might be big enough [damn built in entertainment center] but looking at the vents my DVD player and sat might be small enough to not cover the vents...

Mine's running pretty coolly - temperature directly above the 990 has been around 90 or 92 after extended use, which is in a completely closed cabinet with probably 1-1/2" clear above it and a five-channel amp on the shelf below. That's comparable to or better than my 950 fared.

I would if I could. Looks like you'll be bumping up at least one spot in the queue, though

Gonk, is that heat radiating from the vents or the entire top part of the unit?

It is a beast - got mine yesterday and it overhangs about a half-inch (with all connections made)on a BellO rack that easily accomodates the 755, etc. Sounds great, however - I think it's a lot more "musical" (for lack of a better term) than the 950 and just the sight of it will probably scare away small children and animals, if that's a concern for anyone.

My temperature sensor is on a paper clip stand about half an inch above one of the vents, but I don't think there's much of a temperature gradient in the space above the unit.

The 'stand/shelf' that I had my 950 on has about 2 inches to spare f/b so I don't have to change anything, just swap them out.

Bummer the volume knob isn't brushed (it's painted) metal