I bought my 990 a few years back, based on what I read at AVS and Audioholics.
For me customer support was a very important factor in my choice. Setting up a surround sound receiver/processor can make it a bad experence, or good one.I have very little technical skills and need all the help I can get, which is why I spent more time researching before I bought than most people would need too.
Visiting sites like HSU, SVS, AV123, Emotiva etc, I understood why these companies can take a bite of of the market. Customer service and customers who have a desire to help others realize the benifits fully of the product they purchased . Was the Outlaw 990 better than Emotiva 's product, I don't know. What I do know is this site was far more gentle in answereing question, stupid at times to the more knowledgeable folks , than the other sites.

Even though I am not in the market to buy anything else for my HT , I still have that urge, but for the first time in 40 years I am content on what I have........I can not even convince myself I need more........

When friends, or family, ask me advice on what should they buy, I feel good . They are not asking me because I am smarter than they are, they are asking because my current system appeals to them.
It appeals to them in large part because Outlaw Audio appealed to me.