I guess the fact that my wife just approved me to order the 886 is mute. Back to the wait.

I wish it didn't have to be this way. I agree SN really fell down and the 997 suffered for it. I hope the 997 is all it is supposed to be and that we all get to hear first hand accounts soon. When I saw the news of the price drop I grabbed my card and ordered it, then told the wife. I had been cosidering getting it at the 1449 price so this worked out fabulously.

I have a second home in NC that needs its own HT system. The Onkyo and the 7125 will stay in FL and the 990 and the 7500 will go north. I bought the 7500 so I could use it with some Magnepan speakers I haven't got yet, but it will work with my Advents in NC just great until I do.

The features of the Onkyo were just too much to resist. Every review I have read just raved about its performance and it has everything anyone was wishing for in the 997. Of all the techno features the ones that really put me over the top were the Burr-Brown DACs, the second HDMI output and the Phono input. Couple that with the ISF calibration and Audysseys great reputation it jus outweighed the service and support I know I would get with Outlaw. Hopefully since Outlaw rewrote the manual for the Onkyo, the tech support will be there.

Yeah, the Outlaw manual should come in handy when you're setting it up. Selling the 886 is a curious alternative for Outlaw, but it does seem like they picked a good unit and they did it right (not just tossing the thing out there with a minimum of effort).

I have lost all faith in Outlaw. They are so far behind in new product development and then offer a good deal on the Onkyo. Because I was travelling I completely missed the deal. How many did Outlaw have? They are not building customer loyalty for me.

Outlaw has become too frustrating to deal with.

If I were Outlaw I would do something to clear the decks before I released the 997. They are sold out of the 886 and were one of the last respectable sources of it just last week. They did not have to lower the price, but they did and it had to be for a reason.

I was traveling yesterday too and missed out. I don't think they are all gone though, just out of stock, based on Scott's announcement: "**Act fast, once this limited supply is gone, the price returns to $1,449". Guess there's still hope getting one at the higher price, and even with the amp combos it's not too bad.

I am not interested at $1449 and I already have an Outlaw amp so a combo does not help. I guess I will stay with the trusty 950 until I cannot stand not having HDMI, which is probably not going to be past the end of this year.

zzzzzz....wake me up when it's over.

I feel for Outlaw...honest. But this is the risk you take when you rely on reselling other people's stuff for your bread and butter. At least with the amps, PeterT has some control over what happens. With their Korean/Chinese/whatever partners they're swaying in the breeze. Getting your inventory cheap and "passing that along to the customer" is great, but when poor planning or incompetence at a supplier begin cutting into your brand that you've spent years building, one has to wonder if it was really worth it. Just look at the amount and nature of chatter on the forums here over the past 18 months. People are losing interest. Worse, people like myself who have spent a few grand at Outlaw in the past have begun shopping elsewhere out of sheer frustration.

I agree, Ritz2. I noted elsewhere here that I finally succumbed to the urge and bought an Integra DCH-80.1. This pre-pro has gotten really good press and reviews so far and will likely fit the bill for me extremely well. But out of sheer brand loyalty I waited for a long time to see if the 997 would come to fruition. I am sure it will, and as I mentioned elsewhere as well, I will likely come back to consider it again. If the two were side by side and available, I wold have picked the 997 hands down because of the people and the service here. Have purchased four pieces of Outlaw gear in the past and been extremely happy with the hardware and the Outlaws. But at some point you just decide to pull the trigger - as I did - to enjoy the newest tech and enjoy your hobby. I know the delay is not these guys' fault, but sometimes that's just the way it is.

I agree, but at the end of the day....a consumer only knows that Lucy held the football and Charlie Brown made a herculean effort, but failed when she pulled the football away again...and again...and again. The first time, OK...we all make mistakes. The second time...geez, that's some rotten luck...on subsequent failures, they start to wonder if there isn't a problem with how business partners are vetted instead of continuing to think the "aggrieved party" is the victim. Eventually, even Charlie Brown realizes that perhaps he's relying on the wrong person to hold the ball. I suspect that's why we're now seeing Onkyo processors for sale on this website.

Food for thought.