I just discovered this thread... very interesting. I've owned both the Anthem AVM30 and Arcam AVP700. I've also recommended Outlaw gear without hesitation (a good friend got the 950 combo based entirely on my recomendation). Here are my thoughts on some of the topics:

- Comparing the Outlaw 990 to the Arcam AV8 is not fair. They are in completely different leagues. The AVP700 is a much better comparison.

- From my experience, the "Arcam sound" is very real. My experience with the AVP700 is much the same as tsd's AV8. The imaging and spaciousness is unmatched by anything I've ever heard, though admittedly I haven't heard the $5k+ pre/pros. The 2 channel music performance still makes me shake my head. This thing lived up to the hype, which bring me to...

- It's not only about price. I bought a more-expensive Anthem AVM30 and was never quite happy with the sound quality. It was only marginally better than my Marantz SR8200 receiver at more than double the price. When I heard all the hype about the new Arcam AVP700, I brought one home to audition. Well, needless to say, I sold the Anthem at a considerable loss (and explanation to the wife) after only six months of ownership. The Arcam was about a grand cheaper than the Anthem.

- With respect to the single chip DAC solution: I'm not an engineer, so I can't give any scientific explanation. I can only tell you that I compared the Marantz SR8200 as a pre-pro (which is dual differential - 2 DACs per channel in stereo), Anthem AVM30 (one DAC per channel) and AVP700 (all channels on one DAC chip). The detail and sound stage was pretty much the inverse: Arcam was the best by far, Anthem second, and Marantz was close to Anthem but still third. Is it because the Wolfson's are better? I don't know. I even saw another post that theorized that a single chip may actually help with its shorter signal paths.

- For what it's worth, I've also heard some reports that the P1000 amp is not as special as the Arcam receivers and pre/pros. I kept my Anthem PVA7 (which I like quite a bit). If I didn't already have the Anthem amp, I'd probably have gone the used route.

- I haven't heard the Outlaw 990, but from what I've heard, it sounds like a great value. For music-first enthusiasts, I'll always recommend Arcam, though I've heard great things about Audio Refinement and NAD. For those who are looking for a good balance (or mostly HT) at a good price, I still wouldn't hesitate recommend the 990 - at least for an audition.

Chris