Has anyone compared the 990 to say a krell hts 7.1 or a Meridian 568.2? I know many have compared to lesser equipment but I was wondering how much of a difference there was. The krell costs $8000 but you would be suprised what the dealer cost is and how much they mark up their product. So the build cost is much less than dealer cost. This gets me thinking that the cost of building these are not much higher than the 990 as it seems.

I haven't compared these, but I'm curious - what is the dealer cost for the Krell?

Less than $3500

The reason I asked is because I am considering downgrading my system to save a little money. For all those who would be interested I might just by the 990 to do a direct comparison with my existing pre/pro. It is the Meridian 861. I know the price differences are a LITTLE OFF but I am curious. If the outlaw 990 does not sound good enough compared to it I was considering the 568.2 or the krell which both would save me money.

I haven't really seen any comparisons of this type. I'd expect that the Meridian will sound better (Meridian charges what they do in large part because they build good stuff, after all), but we haven't seen any first-hand reports and as always we're entering the realm of diminishing returns, so the question becomes how much those benefits are worth to your pocket book. If you don't mind "gambling" the shipping costs, the best bet is the one you're already considering: order a 990 and try it for a few weeks.

That is what I want to do. You are right about Meridian making great gear, but they should for the cost. I think I will order one next week. I guess I will be the first to try this weird experiment. One of the least inexpensive pre/pro's vs one of the most expensive. I will test strictly dts and dd. I feel trifield is the best dsp for music by far in my experience. The most natural anyway. I want to see if my usual bunch of guys can tell a big difference or not between the 2. I am looking for dynamics, separation of the detail. In my experience krell and meridian do it the best but I have not heard everything. When I finally order it I will post a new topic meridian 861 vs 990

I look forward to the comparison. I was considering an Anthem AVM30 or a Statement D1 but ultimately decided to go with the 990 and save the difference toward a future speaker upgrade, where for my system I think I would get a better ROI.

My system consists of 7 M&K S-5000 THX speakers with a SVS PB12/Plus/2, currently an ADA amplifier providing 350 watts per channel, A momitsu dvd player as well as a panasonic h1000d, and my Meridian 861. I am waiting for my new Gemstone amp to arrive as well. I want to see if the outlaw 990 with the gemstone would equal or come close to the Meridian and ADA.

That sounds like a very interesting experiment. I'm looking forward to hearing how it shakes out.

It is rare to see that type of review, so yours will be very interesting indeed. The Meridian is a whole different level from the 990, and you should be able to definitely hear the difference. At what reduced level though is "good enough" going to be, hmmm? Remember as you moved up the ladder all the appreciable increases you experienced, will now be reversed. I too just did my own comparison between the 990 and an older NAD pre/pro, mainly for audio reasons (dvd was a no brainer). The Outlaw won and is staying in my system. I did the A/B a little different though, you might want to try. Put the 990 in place of the Meridian for about a week, listen only to it, then take a day off and change back to the Meridian, your "yes or no" about good enough should be instantly apparent. If not, then do same time A/B testing. Look forward to your post. Oh yeah, don't let your bunch of guys know you switched it out.