Glad to hear you are enjoying the sound quality of the Model 975! Don't forget there is a difference between gain and what the unit is actually capable of outputting in terms of pre-out voltage. The output capability of the Model 975 is great - up to 2.7V.

In terms of gain, we could definitely go up with the Model 975 but noise floor would increase. For example, people with efficient speakers, and processors with more gain, can be forced into using attenuators at the pre-outs to cut down on noise floor.

I try and explain how it is a conscious decision we made, and that really is a balancing act between gain and noise floor. Unfortunately, I've run into situations where people simply don't believe this. Personally, I'd lean towards lower noise floor but everyone has their preference.