Ratpack, as others have testified, there is a rather large difference going from receiver to dedicated pre/pro. If you were to do an A/B comparison between the 990 and your Onkyo, I think you'd be shocked at the differences.

Differences between amps are rather minor, however, they are more evident between processors. But, sounds like you are happy with the Onkyo and that is great!!! Ignorance is bliss!!

Note that photos of both of our new amps (7500 and 7700) are now posted in the products section. Enjoy!

All: I may eventually get a chance to compare the Onkyo to a pre/ pro of some type. Who knows what I will find out or decide. While I currently remain unconvinced, it ought to be fun to find out if there is a difference that I can hear.

gband: I appreciate your point on linear amplifier operation.

Warf: I was reading on the avs board some comments about a ATI amp that had high frequency hiss when it was turned off. It was returned for a second which also had the same issue. The owner contacted ATI again and they said that it was a function of the capacitors discharging. I would be interested in knowing if you observe this characteristic when you turn it off.

Hi All,

I have been reading the back and forths about if there is a difference sonically from a Pre-Pro to a receiver. I was able to A/B compare the same set of speakers through the Rotel 1067 receiver, versus their 1068 Pre/Pro. The receiver sounded great but the pre/pro was just a bit clearer with dialog and to me sounded more forward.

Several things to remember:

1. In reality you probably won't have a pre/pro and a receiver setup at home. So, if you are pleased with the sound of your receiver, great!

2. No two people are alike. What you hear may not be what I hear. I would encourage you to try the 990 (what the heck, it's risk free!) and see if your ears hear a difference.

I have been using HK receivers for years (currently have an HK AVR 435 and love it). But, since I was able to AB test some pre/pro vs receiver combos (Denon 5805 vs rotel 1098) and some others in the lower range, my curiousity has been perked. I plan on auditioning the 990 in the near future as the models mentioned above are out of my range.

In the end, it only matters what you think and what you like.