Hey Sanjay,

I auditioned the PLIIx Music mode last night and all I have to say is WOW!!! Great surround effects from a 2-ch source. The sound varied quite a bit from CD to CD but that's to be expected. Nora Jones was in the room, while Godsmack was better w/only Upsampling on.

Very impressed with the bass management of the 990 as well... love the L/R + LFE mode. My Sony didn't offer 2-ch w/sub support like the 990 does. Big improvement if you want that disco thump! Black Eyed Peas and Gwen Stefani's latest discs really pop. My daughter and I listened for quite a while playing our favorite tracks. Can't wait to try some Sinatra - a personal favorite of mine

I have to honestly say that I was seriously contemplating returning my 990 to Outlaw considering the struggles that I've been having with my 7.1 setup. But it's uncanny ability to render 2-ch music either in stereo or multichannel w/o massive processing coloration has sealed the deal for me.

Audiolib,

Unlike movie soundtracks, for which there are industry standards and conventions, CDs do vary quite a bit from title to title. Visiting several recording studios can be quite the eye opener when you realize that there is no standardization in the music industry. This is precisely the reason why the PLIIx Music mode has adjustable parameters and the Movie mode doesn't.

And I agree with you: PLIIx is impressive. Manly yes, but I like it too. The best thing about it is that the processing uses the recording itself for a guide. All the sounds you hear are from the original recording; no added reverb or echo. The directional cues come from the way the recording was mixed. For example: sounds sent to the centre speaker are the ones that would have phantom imaged there anyway.

Listening with your daughter will highlight the benefits. With 2-speaker playback, if you wanted to hear the vocals phantom image correctly in the middle of the front soundstage, you would have to sit in a narrow sweet spot exactly between your front L/R speakers. With PLIIx engaged, those same sounds are moved to an actual speaker in the middle of the front soundstage. You and your daughter can be sitting on opposite ends of the couch, but both of you will hear the vocals from their intended direction: the middle of the front soundstage.

Same directionality as with 2-speakers, just better imaging stability for multiple listeners. Why should the listener in the sweet spot have all the fun?

After you spend some time getting used to PLIIx in its default settings, try playing with some of the adjustable parameters. Let me know if you need some tips on using those.

Best,