With that handy post from Scott, I'll add that I've updated my processor comparison chart to add the 970.

Having spent some time with my 990 and years with the 950 that it replaced, I'd be surprised if the 970 could keep up with the 990 on sound quality - the 990 really does a heck of a job in that department. On the other hand, the 970 looks like it could be considered a direct successor to the 950 (same price as the 950 sold for when it was discontinued) with the current generation's features (things like DVI switching, transcoding to component video, software upgradeability, individual channel distance settings, and power-on volume default) added for good measure.