I tried this combo, only last month. Missed the special. However, this combo is well priced. In terms of quality, the amp wieghs 41 pounds and does not seem to run out of power. The room I use it in serves two purposes, movie watching and recreation. My listening area for movies is 12' x 14', this is more than enough power. But I also use the 7 channel stereo mode for music to cover the rest of the area 36'x12'. Again, it is adequate. Loud enough for music. The 970 is probably the easiest processor to use (I was used to various receivers Onkyo/Marantz/Denon they were easy too, but not as easy and accomodating as the 970). I do not think that I would go back to using recievers. For Canadian buyers there is the cost of duty (almost $400), but it is well worth it.