The 970 would be sonically at least equal to the 950 - in that regard, both are going to be safe bets. The 970 will offer a number of extra features (Pro Logic IIx, individual distance settings for each speaker including subwoofer, video transcoding from composite/s-video to component video, an extra component input, DVI/HDMI video switching, RS-232 port for firmware updates, and a headphone jack) - it'll probably be that list of features that would be the biggest factor in deciding whether the 970's worth the extra $250 or $300 over a used 950.