I would place the order:

  • 978
  • Marantz 7005/6006

The Marantz options may move up the list since my 10+ year old Denon is about to die. By the time the 978 gets released, its going to end up being nearly 4 years from the announcement of the 997. But given Emotiva's history, I would rather have my 10 year old Denon limping along in my system than buy one of their products.