Thanks for the reply gonk.

The 3500 model number was a typo on my part, I meant the 3005.

I'm still very much undecided, but will make a decision this weekend (I'm tired of listening to my speakers through a 85Wx5 8ohm receiver only rated to 4ohm for the fronts [6ohm for the center and surrounds]).

The Arargon 3005 was on my radar screen because it won the Editor's Choice Gold Award from Ultimate AV in 2005 (this is the same award the 990 won for processors).

My current issues with the Aragon/7500 choice are:

1. The Aragon's 300Wx5 at 8ohms is only with 3 channels driven, and the 4ohm spec has no description.

2. The Aragon's maximum power consumption is 1200W vs 1800W for the Outlaw (prob. explains the weight difference). Does this mean the Outlaw can actually provide more wattage to my speakers (assuming similar effeciency)?

3. I don't have a good handle on all the tests and tweaking that come with the THX Ultra2 certification on the 3005. Does a THX Ultra2 stamp suggest the sound quality will be better than the outlaw? I ask this realizing that not having the THX Ultra2 stamp does not hurt the quality of the Outlaw, it just provides some sort of standard for the quality of the lesser known (in this forum) Aragon 3005.

4. The 3005's MSRP is twice that of the 7500, but I'm not comfortable assuming Aragon gives anywhere near the price to quality ratio that Outlaw provides.

5. All the reviews I've found on the 3005 are stellar, but they don't compare it to other notable amps. I would have liked to daisy chain reviews starting with the 3005 and working back to either an Outlaw or ATI.

Well, those are my issues at the moment. I've already decided on the Model 990, I'm just waiting to see if I'm going to order the 990/7500 combo.

If gonk or anyone else has any comments on these issues, I would love to hear them. I am taking my amp purchase seriously because it is the one component in my system that I don't plan on changing any time in the next 10 years.

Thanks!