I recently bought and sent back a TX-NR5007. It sounded pretty darn good w/ MultEq XT, and a B&K 200.7, but with the new 1.4 standards and MultEq XT32 now available I decided it was worth it to spend a little more. I was leaning towards the 5008 or an 80.2, but am intrigued by the 978. For me, it's worth waiting a few months. But,first quarter release and MultEq XT32 are deal-breakers. After March I'll just go with one of the for-mentioned AVR/Pre-Pro's.
Really, this is just another plug for XT32, and a hurry up!