DTS tracks are often mixed with the LFE track "hotter" (in fact, DTS tracks are typically mixed a few dB hotter across the board - it's one reason many people point to for the perceived superiority of DTS or DD).

Other than the DTS being mixed a few dB higher than DD, does one really sound better than the other?

I've recently been looking into this very question since up until I got my 990, I didn't have a choice. If you Google DTS and Dolby you'll come up with all sorts of interesting stuff on this. I guess even Dolby Labs and the DTS people have been in a cat fight for years over who's got the better format. Naturally.

Also not suprisingly, it seems great sound has a lot more to do with processes upstream, and how skilled the person was that did the mixing, than the particular formats themselves. Hence you can have great sounding DD and DTS tracks. It just depends on the movie.

Though it's interesting to me that so many people seem to swear they prefer DTS 90% of the time while it seems much less common to hear someone say that about DD. So maybe DTS tracks are consistently better, for whatever reason...

Anyway, I don't feel I have enough personal experience yet to form any preference. I'm still in awe over how good it all sounds with the 990/7125/LFM-2. Absolutely love 'em.

hello gonk and fellow audioholics!! I have just finished setting up my New 990/7700 that I am not ashamed to brag about the fact that I made a great deal at the home theater show in LAX.
It took me a total of eight hours to set it up. I do not think that the instruction manual is as accurate as it should be. I do think that with not much effort it could be made a liitle bit easier. However thanks to Outlaws great support system via STEVE, the setup was made without stress. Steve was right there to help make things easier to deal with. Patience 100%. Most important besides that,is the fact that he was dealing with a person who is not technical savvy as himself or a lot of you guys here on the forum. I am strictly a person who likes good sound and picture quality. It's that simple.
I admire you guys who talk about Hz, LFE, Bass Management and whatever else you can pull out of that bag of electronic wizardry.
I like good audio and a good picture.
When I was debating about whether or not to purchase the 990 or keep my yamaha 3300 receiver as the processor and get the 7700 for the amplifier I was unsure as to how much better if at all my sound for stereo and movies would be.
Now I know. The 990 is without a doubt awesome!! I noticed the difference right away. Having unexpected company watching (Underworld part 2) and the questions as to what I did to improve the sound was a good feeling. The fact that they noticed a difference was nice to hear, beause I thought that I was going to be the only one to really notice. My friends thought that I was nuts to get rid of the yamaha. They thought it sounded "fine". They were wrong, the 990 makes my movies sound as if the action is right there in the room. I mean as if they were making the movie in my home theater.
I know it sounds as if I am streching it, but I am a happy camper.
If you are debating about the 990 as to if it will make an improvement, don't!! It will go beyond your expectations.
Thanks outlaw for making a product.
If I had to say anything negitive about the 990/7700 I would say that the on and off buttons of both units seem weak along with the volume knob on the 990.

DTS will often, on DVD's, have a bitrate of around 1.5 Mb/sec. DD maxes out at 640 or 750 Kb/sec for a bitrate, so the DTS will have less compression then, if it was mixed well. This is why on some of the DTS DVD's that Universal used to put out (Out of Sight, Jaws, etc...) they didn't have the special features of the standard discs since they were using that room for the DTS soundtrack.

I'm glad to hear that you've got the 990 and 7700 up and running, rubbersoul! It sounds like it's been a hit!

It is amazing the difference between the 990 and the Yamaha 3300. The 990 goes beyond my expectations. I thought that I would notice a little improvement, but the 990 went beyond..To the OUTER LIMITS. This was not just my feelings but also a couple of local audio newbies who thought it sounded so life-like.
Gonk can you tell me if you know of any sites where I can pick up a CHEAP monitor for use with the 990. I had to steal my daughters' TV for the set up menu and I would like to have something that I can store in my Home Theater room for any future settings.
THANKS,
Rubbersoul

Do you want a little CRT, or do you want a fancier-looking LCD?

There's a little Coby 5" black and white CRT that Radio Shack says has an A/V input jack. You can get it from J&R for $17 or so or Radio Shack for about $25 . I've got a similar TV that I keep in the hall bathroom closet (handy for tornado warnings, left over from the big storm-induced power outage of 2003). Small, CHEAP, and effective (assuming Radio Shack's correct on the A/V input, which this PDF file appears to confirm).

If you want to get fancier, there are some little LCD's. There are two more Coby's available from J&R: 5" display for $100 or 7" display for $130 .

If you're going the LCD route, I'd probably lean toward the 7" display - easier to read. If you just want CHEAP, the little CRT would at least get you into the setup menus without taking much space or cash.

Thanks Gonk for the info. I am going cheap on this one. Radio shack is about 2 miles from the house. If they do not carry them any more I will go to J&R.
Spoke to Scott today problem with the Trigger cord that is supplied with the 990 to hook up with the 7700. For some reason it does not turn on the 7700. However, now this is weird, when I experimented by pulling the cord out of the 7700 while the 990 was on (BLUE LIGHT) the 7700 turned on. I hope that this is a faulty cord and not a problem with the 7700.
Keeping the faith I think it is the cord. We shall see. Scott is sending me a new cord.