I agree that at times, an electronics heft may have some bearing on quality. But while the 990 was a little light, it had great sound quality. But I am suprised that the Marantz 7005 preamp is only a tad heavier than the 990. My Onkyo PR-SC886 is prettty heavy considering its only a pre.

If the 978 comes out at $1500, it is going to have to be a pretty awesome machine for me to pay that much.
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Panasonic TC-P65S1 65" Plasma HDTV, Marantz AV 8801 Preamp, Outlaw 7700 Amp, Klipsch RF7 (X-over dean G modded) RC7 (X-over Dean G modded) RS7 CDT-5800C speakers, Outlaw LFM1 EX Subwoofer, Oppo BDP-93, B & O Turntable, Toshiba HD-A2, Sony CD & DVD 400 disc jukeboxes, DirecTV HD-DVR, PS2, PS3, Wii, Harmony one remote, Monster PowerBar 1200 for the TV, sub, PS3, HD DVD and Wii, Tripp Lite Isolation Bar for the Amp, Pre-Amp and other sources.