Thanks rubbersoul. I've been through several generations of NHT speakers and I've always liked their sound. They can be a bit trying with poorly recorded material but with good recordings I can just close my eyes and be drawn right into it all.

How do I like the 990/7700? I love them. I wasn't really looking to replace my receiver but I happened to drop by the Outlaw site the day they announced the 990 and as soon as I saw it I decided I was going to give it a try. I had been watching Outlaw's products for some time but I just couldn't warm up to their appearance - shallow as that sounds - but the new look of the 990 just grabbed me. Soundwise my reaction was pretty much the same as many others I've read here and elsewhere with a very noticeable increase clarity and "discreteness" among the surround channels. Although I was sure that there had been some improvements in surround processing technology in the five years since my receiver was made I wasn't expecting the jump up in overall experience that the 990 delivered.

I predominantly listen to music and the two-channel performance of the 990 is also very very good and I've had quite a bit of fun trying two-channel music over PL-IIx. My bottom line on the 990/7700? I couldn't be happier.

mike