Using the "mainstream" manufacturers as a basis for comparison is deceptive for several reasons. First, those manufacturers release new models every year, often just changing one or two minor details and bumping the model number up a notch. Outlaw has never used this business model. Second, the years since the Model 990 have been particularly disruptive industry-wide. Look at how many new generations of HDMI-based processors Parasound has released since the Model 990 (hint: just as many as Outlaw). Look at Lexicon - who is owned by Harmon International, giving them access to "in-house" R&D resources that Outlaw lacks, but has only one HDMI processor (itself a variation on the existing MC-12 platform rather than a ground-up development). There are other examples of companies who have had hard times to varying degrees with HDMI. Hopefully the Model 978 will let Outlaw close that particular chapter.