SN R-972 went from Jan 07 announcement of a Aug 07 release, to Jan 08 release to now a June 08 release.

SN is notorious for being very late on their releases. I would not expect the R-972 before Dec 08. Their pre-pro would take even longer as it add a few more "features".
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BSMNT HT - Oppo DV-970HD,Tos HD-A2,Emo LMC-1/Onkyo TX-SR705, Outlaw 7125,PSB Image 4T 8C 10S, Outlaw LFM-1+,Panny PT-AE900U, DIY 106" fixed screen

LIVRM 2ch - Philips 963SA,Lexicon DC-1,Carver AV-505,Von Schweikert VR-2,Sony KDF-E42A10