I hear it with the 976 but never would have if not looking for it. I hear normal noise floor until -10dB. This was with the quarter inch adapter from my Sony MDRs plugged in and with the 976 set to FM tuner and listening to the static noise. Adjusting the volume doesn't audibly change the level of noise for me until -10. Above this I can start to hear the radio static being adjusted by the volume through the front channels. Up until about -10, I assume I am only hearing the noise floor on the amplifier? I wonder if the noise floor of your amplifier is covering this up? I can't hear it with my CDs but I listen to music pre-loudness wars, hence using the tuner's static rather than dynamic music. It appears level of the signal into the pre is a factor.

I had a few of the '70s Marantz and Pioneer receivers. On a lot of the vintage receivers the audio actually traveled through analog switches and controls. They would cause popping and noise from your speaker when the control would get dirty because audio traveled through the controls. Other than possibly having a very small amount of crosstalk with these units it would be apples and oranges because you are physically disconnecting the audio signal from the rest of the product with the vintage, all analog units.

IMO Bill O, you're beating a dead horse and are frustrated over nothing. You can't hear any noise? Great! Time to move on, you know what they say about life being too short. I don't comment much but do like to read the forums. Outlaw responses have been pretty helpful and insightful. A few people weighed in that they wish Outlaw chimed in more for the same reason even though they are busy. To doubt the manufacturers and then to make a comment about if they want to prove you wrong, they can pay shipping both ways made me giggle. I would guess these type of passive aggressive responses are why Outlaw generally acts as moderators only, and why they say the forum is not for trying to garner technical support from Outlaw. I would be willing to bet they have much better things to do with their time (cough, immersive audio, cough) than argue about a unit they designed.
Because you can't hear it, it seems you are inferring they would lie about something publicly, and admit to having some "very, very low level noise" (which no manufacturer would want to do) that they do not have? For what reason? I don't think companies are in the habit about lying about noise they don't have. I would expect the opposite and that companies would be more likely to try and cover things up. You think this is being done, for what, to avoid having ONE SINGLE 975 sent in to be looked at and possibly fixed? Do we have two fellow conspiracy theorists here? I am sorry but I read this and think how ludicrous: someone is trying to stir the pot.

With the 976, this whole conversation should be a non starter. I can hear it with the tuner, but it so infinitesimally small my ear is on top of the tweeter. I imagine Orca might want to send the 975 in. Outlaw says both units do it. I'd try to find out if the 975 normally exhibits this much more strongly than the 976 and if this could account for the difference. How many people have the 975 and 976 in the same system to test back and forth? Probably not many. You will probably get a quicker answer if you go directly to Outlaw than hoping for one of us to have both pres running L & R channels to the same amplifier with the same speakers. I cannot help but wonder if you have an agenda outside of having Outlaw look at your 975. Why else would you receive an answer, drive an hour to try to prove them wrong about a model you do not own, and continually try to receive Outlaw support via the public forum when you know this is for interaction between those of us who have or are looking into buying Outlaw products? Geeze, I guess conspiracies are contagious. I have spent far too much time with this. Time for you to handle things the right way and pose your questions directly to Outlaw.