I have been wondering for sometime now if there will be a replacement for the 970/1070 platform - both were good values at the time (especially when they were on sale). Currently I use a reciever as a pre/pro and it works well, however, I would have preferred an actual pre/pro similar to the 970 but with some more modern features (and fewer quirks). While my gear works, I also hold out to see what Outlaw will be offering in terms of a new reciever and for some odd reason a new pre/pro. I just can't see the long awaited 997 being on the market for very long - way too many problems and it has not even been released.