Hank, you have been a voice of reason on this forum, but I see this offering as nothing but an attempt to keep Outlaw viable. I still believe that the 978 is in beta (the absence of Gonk is critical here) and this is simply a delaying tactic as previously stated. I do not see this announcement as good marketing. Heck my second system has an old Denon receiver doing AVR duties. (Although I may not be a true audiophile ) I have no intention in changing that setup anytime in the future. It still amazes me that Outlaw offers competitors products. Maybe I am clueless about good marketing.