73Bruin

I have made no study on this. There are so many outboard features on these expensive units that not everybody who buys one will use EVERYTHING it has to offer. It is a "buffet" of sorts as I commented above. If brands A and B have all these features, then brand C will need them to keep up on the marketing of their product. As I said, all the features drive up costs including a myriad of hook up options. What is key with the 978 is keeping the price down even after all of the R&D going on. I, for one and I speak ONLY for myself here, will not be spending over two thousand dollars of my hard earned money on ANY of these products, including the 978. I will then be going the way of Marantz 7005.