That's great info gonk. I saw a thread you were writing in over at the av123, but it wasn't a direct head on comparison which is what I was after.

That answered a good deal of questions for me, specifically that for HDMI they are both equally hobbled (not a criticism, just what I'm reading into those links.) And that sonically the 990 seems to have the edge.

I'll probably get a 990 and wait a few more years for the HDMI hub-bub to sort itself out.

Thanks...