jkvoth,

Thanks for the response. I had remembered hearing bad reports regarding the UMC-1 early on, but didn't remember hearing anything recently after what I'm sure have been several firmware updates. As for the Emotiva aesthetics, I'm not a big fan of the glowing blue lights everywhere, but overall I do like their looks a bit better than Outlaw's when it comes to the pre-pro's. As for amps, I prefer the Outlaw look, less-is-better. I've never heard an Emotiva amp so I have no reference to say if I like them or not.

I've been an Outlaw fan for a number of years and have had a fair amount of their audio devices. I have liked everything with the exception of the 970, which is what I'm looking to replace. My first Outlaw purchase was a pair of M200s to use as amplification for my front L/R channels instead of the Yamaha RX-V1200 internal amps. The improvement in sound led to purchasing a 950/770 combo which I really liked, what a major improvement in the sound. Then I picked up a 990, which is a fantastic pre-pro, to replace the 950. I gave the 950, and the pair of M200s, to a friend and used that as an excuse to replace them with a 970/7125 combo for my everyday TV system. I like the 7125, a good sounding dependable amp, but the 970 has always been somewhat problematic with audio dropouts. It was/is out of character from what I had come to expect from Outlaw products.

What I'd really like to do is to get a 978 to replace the 970. I was thinking of getting a 978 to replace the 990 and moving the 990 to the den. But there are a couple of issues with that, the 978 is not yet out plus I'd have to replace the TV stand in the den that came with the Sony rear projection TV due the height of the 990. The second part isn't such a big deal, but the lack of an adequate replacement for the 970 is. I've finally had enough of working around its quirks and want it out of the system. So I'm trying to find something inexpensive so that I can at least keep dreaming about the possibility of getting a new Outlaw pre-pro when it finally comes out. But I want it to be decent as it may be a while before I can afford a 978 if I purchase something else. I've been an Outlaw fan and want to stay one, but at this point I'm considering alternatives.

Again, thanks for the response.

Jeff