That is a quandry. I would guess the big thing is how important decoding in the pre-amp for blueray sound formats is to you. I'm guessing that the new 990 will also have some sort of equalization/room correction capability , but that's merely conjecture at this point. beyond that, who knows ?
I would have to say that at the current pricing, the 990 is an exceptional bargin. If having the latest and greatest isn't one of your major goals in life, I'd recommend the 990.
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HT:
990/770
Oppo BD83SE
Pioneer Elite DV-47A
Magnavox HDMR513h DVR/DVD-R
Sony DVD megachangers-2
Sony CD megachangers-2
Monster power centers-2
Sony 48" rear projection SDTV
Roku video player
JVC AL-A158 Turntable
Polk RT-2000s,CS-650,XS-650s,RT80s
LFM-1EX
Hsu VTF-1
12" Velodyne
Family room:
OPPO 970
Sony 32" direct view HDTV
Denon 3801
Rolk RMs