I was in your situation exactly a year ago -- I had ordered the 7700 and new speakers, and was waiting for the 978. I heard from a good friend who runs another audio company (and is in regular touch with Peter T.) that the 978 wasn't likely to come out any time in the next 3-6 months (yes, we were all still dreaming of a mid-2011 release for the 978 back then), so I did my research and settled on the Integra DHC-80.2.

But I've still got my fingers crossed, and when the 978 is released, I'll likely take advantage of the 30-day return policy to give it an audition in my system and see if it enhances my SQ.