saddlesore (should I ask how you got that nickname?), I also extend my welcome to the forums.
I am in nearly the same situation you are. I am putting a HT in my basement and have an EP500, two M80s, a VP150, and two QS8s sitting in my dining room waiting to go. Every once in a while they whimper "Plug us in to some music, please..." but then I spank them and they hush up again.
But I digress. When the Basement HT project started, I thought I'd have a 16x35 area (with just under 8 ft of ceiling) to power, but then I subdivided it to better insulate the room and am left with a 16x18 HT.
I am going to go with the 990/7125. I too am frustrated by the 7700 being double the price of the 7125. The audio installer I am working with assures me that the 125 watts will be plenty, and from earlier posts here, sounds like he is right.
So, I'm noticing that there is a lot more talk on these boards about Outlaw in the last month or so. Seems like there's some groovy synergy gong on between Axiom and Outlaw, what with the internet-only sales, 30-day trial, fun message boards, etc... You don't suppose that Ian is the head Outlaw? Come to think of it, has anyone ever seen the two of them together? Hmmm...