The 990's front input can be assigned to rear connections (any of the digital audio connections and either component or DVI video), so it can be used without having something connected to the front. I used that ability. The 990 also allows you to edit input names, something that we really liked.

When comparing products like this, you also need to consider more than purely specs. For example, how good is the analog section? (The 950 and 970 are quite respectable, and the 990 is even better.) I would not be a bit surprised if a 950 paired with an amp like the 7125 would sound better than an Onkyo 702 paired with the same amp. (The receiver by itself would not be a fair fight.)