I have a friend who has his OPPO connected directly to 3 tube amps and uses the volume control on his OPPO. He couldn't be happier. It works fine when you don't have multiple sources. That's where the pre/pro comes in of course. He's in the market now.

Whether to 'punt' is a question each of us has to answer individually based upon our individual circumstances. As for me, I'm still waiting. Fortunately, I can, finding my 990 is still in perfect working condition. Some HDMI issues, and the 990s inability to decode the latest codecs were solved with a new OPPO player. Your mileage may vary, of course.

Everything that could be speculated upon, regarding the 987 has been said; it's just that everyone has apparently not yet had a turn saying it. No one could be more frustrated with the situation than the guys who have their money on the line. This is not exactly a business plan that would get you an MBA at Harvard.

Some of the delay's have been due to advancing technology and undefined specs. I believe legal issues with their early partnerships actually accounted for the first misstep. But these are now long past issues. This is a very complex piece of equipment -- to build correctly. The software is obviously very complex. Outlaw's legacy is that their equipment is absolutely top quality; that's no doubt the reason the're still messing with the fit and finish.

The only hope Outlaw has for recovering any portion of their investment is to bring this to completion. At this point, any newly released DACs or video chips, etc. would not obsolete the existing design. Circuits can only be so good... 99.9999 percent perfect (however that is defined) is sufficient.

We can't find a pre/pro better than this one without spending 3x or more money, and it's doubtful I would ever HEAR the difference.

One thing seems certain: there is simply too much invested here to abandon the project. That decision could have/would have been made months ago, with a huge hit on the Outlaw reputation. So, unless you have a very compelling reason to get a new pre/pro before mid summer, why not ride it out. Each day brings us closer to the unveiling!

Keep in mind, some have been saying this for the last +3 years, thinking that it will be here by mid-summer can be dangerous.

I admit that I have been saying that since 2008, but have also swapped out a receiver, an Outlaw 970, and now I am using my current Onkyo receiver (w/ Outlaw 7500 amp). All this since the original 997 announcement. If the 978 comes by mid-summer, I will buy it, but I have quit kidding my self by expecting it to come.

A very sensible attitude, shared by many here, I suspect. That doesn't make it any less frustrating - or at least disappointing - for some of us.

I am frustrated and disappointed. I just have no expectations that it will be here any time soon, if at all. Up till recently I kept telling myself, only a couple months away..

Well, then there's the math of waiting... each successive day becomes a smaller percentage of the total wait. Another day by now is probably only 0.1%.

But then again when you devide the number of processors produced into the number of years waited you get an infinite number. At least it can't get anymore infinite.

Some of us punted a while ago and now we have the ball back and have to decide to run or pass

Like everyone here, I've been frustrated, and waiting for a long while. I probably even made a comment that I wouldn't wait, but I have.

My thinking on the issue boils down to this: wants and needs. I want a new processor that supports HDMI, but do I need it? The answer to that currently is no. My system works as and works pretty well. If it had to be more user friendly I'd have to get a better highend remote control, which I may get anyway with my lutron lighting system. So I can wait and will wait. The only thing that will force me to make a move is if my 990 crapped out and I don't see that happening.

So ask yourself if you absolutely need a new processor or just want one. You've waited this long, so will a few more months or 6 more months hurt?

I've been checking this forum almost every day for the past year or so in hopes of seeing an announcement regarding the 978 and each day I sigh. I got excited when I saw the recent email from Outlaw hoping it was about the 978 to be disappointed that it was about another Marantz product. Sigh.

Retrep's post pretty much fits me. I've been able to configure my system to do what I want using my OPPO so I don't need a new processor. However, I want the 978's features. But, I'm not overly confident the 990 will last much longer without some kind of repair. In fact, mine made a trip back Outlaw a couple of years ago to get fixed and fortunately it has been going strong since.

If my 990 needed another repair before the 978 arrives I'd be in a quandary whether to have it fixed or buy a pre/pro that has the features I want. I'd certainly like to have the 978 on my short list of choices, so I'll keep checking the Saloon on a regular basis.