Thanks for the quick replies everyone!

I must live a pretty good life... This sale materialized just a few hours after my post went live. Coincidence? Nah. Signs like these cannot be ignored ;-)

As Rob pointed out, the 7700 is now on sale. I just checked, and you can still get 7x2200 for ~79$ less shipped via the product page, but this price difference is no longer a factor.

Although I like the added flexibility of monoblocks and the fact I can easily move them without breaking my back, space and ventilation is a big issue in my setup. Given similar price and assuming similar sound quality, form factor wins.

So based on all your feedbacks, I just picked up a 7700 tonight!

I'll update this thread once everything is setup and I had some quality listening sessions. Although a shootout between the 1050 and the Integra+7700 may not be relevant to most, detailing the move from a solid receiver to what I believe are good separates might inspire others.

Just can't wait now,
DMX