I agree with you're saying.
I started about 15 years ago with a Kenwood Receiver and Infinity bookshelf speakers.
Every few years I try to upgrade a piece or two if I can afford it.
With my current setup (990, 7500, B&W 804S/HTM3S) I still listen to 2ch CDs about 60-75% of the time.
So I want to make sure the 997 does an excellent job with 2ch music (and hope its better than the 990 in this area).
It should also have a "bypass" mode, like the 990, to bypass any EQ/Calibration functions.
When I went from the 950 to the 990, I noticed a difference in 2ch and 5.1 sound quality.
I hope differences in the 997 are good changes and do not color the sound when the EQ/Calibration is applied.