I figured I'd chime in on this thread too. Just got my 7500 late yesterday. All I can say is 'wow'. I've moved up the Outlaw 'ladder' of amps; starting with the 7075, then the 7125, and now the 7500. Each time I've upgraded I've noticed a definite improvement in detail. I'd sold my 7125 about 6 months ago and bought a low end HDMI receiver so I could hook up all my disc players with one cable. While it was nice for movies, the audio sq left a lot to be desired. My original plan was to wait til the 997 came out and buy it in combo with another 7125 or maybe a 7500. When the Outlaws announced their latest B-stock sale I decided I couldn't stand listening to audio on the receiver any longer and jumped on a 7500 and sold the receiver. I'm happy I decided on it vs. the 7125. My wife and I listened to one of her favorite CD's last night and we both remarked about details in the music we'd never heard before. At present I'm running the Oppo direct to the 7500 and will decide on a preamp down the road (though my kids are already missing their surround sound for movies). BTW..I've not noticed any hum or hiss.