I have been looking through the 990 manual and the product page and have a few questions I was hoping someone could help me with:

1) On the product page it states "Room 2 A/V output with fixed/variable audio level, S-video and coaxial digital." Where are they getting the coaxial digital from? To me the audio out appears to be analog R/L. Is there a way a digital output can be assigned to this somehow?

2) What do they mean by "2 Video Record Out Selectors?" I clearly see Video 1 Record Out, but where is the second output?

3) Can the second 12-Volt trigger be set to send a signal when the unit is powered on like the first trigger or does an input have to be selected to engage it?

4) When you make channel level adjustments "on the fly" are they saved when the unit is powered off, or does it default back to the previous settings?

5) Is it possible to use both the balanced preouts and RCA preouts at the same time for two different 7.1 setups in two different rooms? Granted if this is so, you would only be able to use one room at a time and would need to kill the amps in the room not being used.

Thanks in advance!

1) I'm not sure about that, either. Unless the coaxial digital output is somehow linked to the zone 2, which I wasn't aware of.

2) I don't know about this one, either, unless you count zone 2.

3) The second trigger can be configured for each individual input. If it is set to "on" for all inputs, it'll trigger as soon as you turn the unit on (the remote "on" command is achieved by sending an input selection). I guess the one time this may not fly is when you push the power button on the front panel, but even then the trigger is tied to the input last used and will come on right alongside trigger 1.

4) I believe that "on the fly" changes are saved.

5) Both balanced and unbalanced outputs are active at all times, so this would be possible.

Sorry my first two answers couldn't be more informative...

Gonk,

Great review on the 990. Wow, that took a while to read. I presently use a Yammy 2500 as a pre/pro and a pair of the 755 amps to drive seven speakers and my pair of SVS 20-39CS+ subs. I am really getting interested in the 990 as a replacement to the 2500. I have a few more questions:

1) How large is the volume setting on the display? I am assuming it is the same size as the source being displayed.

2) As I have passive subs (no crossover or filters on the sub to set), does this mean I should not use the auto setup due to the full range signal it sends to the subs? I was wanting to see how it set the crossover on the other seven speakers. I guess I could alway unplug the subs from the amps and adjust them manually later if I needed to.

3) Are the S-video connections gold-plated?

4) Do you get a fairly beefy power cord with the unit?

Thanks!

The volume setting only appears when adjusting it, and it is the same size as the input name - very readable from a distance. With passive subs, I suspect that auto setup's results will warrant some tweaking - or you could just turn off the sub amps if you're worried about hitting the sub with a full range signal. From zooming in on the picture I took of the rear panel, it appears that the s-video inputs are gold-plated. As for the power cord, I remember it being pretty stout (certainly not one that would be mistaken for a typical computer power cord).