I wonder how much of an improvement the audio formats will be over the current ones. Should I be frustrated over the way audio is being implemented over HDMI or not? I don't have a reference point other than the audio formats (via coax and optical) used by my 990, but I like the way it sounds. Would an upgrade in other components (e.g. speakers, room treatments, SMS-1) provide a greater benefit to my enjoyment over the new audio formats? The answer is partially based upon objective info but subjective measures (does it sound better) too.

Is the audio improvement with the new formats comparable to a reference everyone already knows? For example, are the new formats better than the current ones like standard CDs are better than audio from mp3s?