Okay, so assuming I can't get spousal approval for the price tag on the 990 - no matter how hard I try to convince her of the bargain, would common sense dictate that the 970 would be an upgrade over the Pioneer 54?

I know, I know...try one and see. I intend to, but I was just curious what your thoughts were.

And as a side note - Just for kicks, I shut off the MCACC on the 54 last night, and the sound was pretty impressive. I cycled between on and off, and ultimately chose to leave it off. I like it. So I don't think EQ is going to be an issue in the long run.

As to the rated max ouput spec on both the 970 and the 990, at 6 and 9 volts respectively, is it possible for those signals to clip? I know if I don't properly balance my amp gains with my voltage output on the 54, I can definitely induce clipping in the pre-out stage of the 54. Having never owned a dedicated preamp, I wasn't sure if the same would hold true. I think it will but I'm not positive.

Thanks again