An optional internal board installed on request (and by hand in Boston) would likely cost as much as simply offering a standalone phono pre-amp, especially in a product that isn't using a card-based architecture. I seem to recall a few people suggesting that Outlaw look at tucking the RR2150's phono section into a chassis of its own for just this purpose - don't know if it will come to pass (might be a small demand, narrow margin sort of product), but it'd probably be a more efficient solution - plus it would find a wider market (since it could be paired with the 970, with any other future products that lack a phono input, or even with somebody else's product).

It is a shame that the only feedback we have about the platform has been from a faulty demo at an electronics show. I am hoping the unit is out and has had some reviews by the time I decide to buy. I would love it if Sherwood and/or Outlaw could get one of these into the hands of a reputable reviewer before they launch.

Until the product is done, I wouldn't expect to see feedback. After all, the only folks using it enough to offer real feedback are the company staff and maybe some external testers (although the latter are going to only enter into the mix near the tail end) - all of them are going to be working under NDA and not allowed to talk. Not to mention that firmware is such a big part of today's consumer electronics, and getting the firmware right can make a significant difference on performance. Commenting on performance with incomplete firmware is tricky business, even when you are able to do so.
You won't see it go to a professional reviewer before launch. First, the reviewer is only going to be useful to any of us if he has final hardware and final firmware. Second, most professional reviewers distribute through channels that take months to go from delivery of review sample to publishing (even for online "magazines" like Secrets or Ultimate AV). Combine those two, and you get a situation where the product launch gets put on hold for several months just so that review can be published. That's not going to happen.

What we are likely to see is at least some feedback from Sherwood R-972 owners prior to the arrival of the Model 997. That 60+ day separation in product launches (and I'm not going to assume that it will be exactly 60 days, as Murphy's Law is nearly as inflexible as the law of gravity) will allow for some feedback of that type, with Trinnov likely to be the biggest subject of discussion. My concern is that many Sherwood customers are going to be buying from dealers rather than through online channels and are thus not as likely to be active in an online forum, so their experience is less likely to show up online readily. There's a good chance that we won't have a really useful collection of user feedback with the shared platform in hand until the gunslingers around here start using the 997 and posting about it. I'd expect a much higher percentage of 997 owners to speak up in forums than R-972 owners. That first month on the market should generate a lot of information.

When is the 997 coming out? Seriously. This has been posted as "Coming Soon" for 6 months now.
sorroundophile, do you really think the number of people wanting a phono input is on par with those needing quadrophonic sound?

Soon as I get my tax refund I'm buying - and right now it's looking like the Integra DTC-9.8 (phono stage included)

As has been mentioned several times (including at least once by Outlaw's PeterT), Outlaw is waiting for Sherwood to launch the R-972 receiver that is the basis for this platform. It will take at least 60 days after that for the Model 997 to launch, and if problems arise with the R-972 Outlaw may wait longer to provide time to implement any necessary fixes. The R-972 was due to launch by December when Outlaw first announced the Model 997, but that launch has been pushed back several times. The latest news I've seen suggests a launch between the end of this month and the middle of next month, which puts the Model 997 launch happening no sooner than mid-July.

I don't recall if this was answered or not, but it's not on the product page. Is there any change this unit will have dolby volume or something that can do the same thing without user interaction?

I don't think the R-972 will have Dolby Volume, so I doubt the 997 will either.

That's unfortunate because it would be a great feature.

Just bought the Integra DTC-9.8!! LOVE IT!!! Couldn't wait forever for this to come out!!!!

Audssey announced their new EQ which adds the front height speakers into the mix among other things. If integra gets a firmware of that out the door before the S/N / outlwaw product comes out It'll be depressing.... especially if the Outlaw doesn't support the height channels, even though I know head outlaw peter loves height channels.