I haven't seen any reports yet on this amp (other than RAF's report on the 755)so I thought I might put in my .02. Well, I've had the 770 in the house for about 10 days now. Like everyone else, I'm waiting for my 950(I need that 950!)to upgrade my system. In the meantime, I went ahead and hooked it up using a RXV850 Yamaha receiver as a preamp for now. I've been listening to music through two older CD players (Philips, Nakamichi,) an older CAL Audio Sigma II DAC and a Toshiba 2700 DVD player. My mains are B&W Matrix 803's.

This is a fine amp. I like it. Great resolution and depth. My wife says "it has a distinct but mellow, ambient presence". That's her definition of "putting you right there". I trust her ears because she has no interest in the equipment. (Besides, she hears better than me). It is not forward at all, maybe even slightly laid back. This amp has lots of dynamic energy, but comes across very smooth and is not "edgy" in the slightest. I was afraid the Yamaha's slight tendency for liveliness might show through, but it doesn't seem to happen. I have listened to other amplfiers, but only have an Adcom GFA-555II (200 watts per channel)here at home to compare it to. I've always been ok with the Adcom, but it definitely is lacking in clarity and has a fine layer of "grain" in comparison. I wish I could report on my findings for HT, but I don't have a processor(I need that 950!). However, if it's this good for music it's got to be great for HT audio.

I find it is hard to stop listening to CD's once I start,it is just really enjoyable. If anybody is in the market for a 5/7 channel amp, they really need to give this one a listen. I know you can spend more,(and you would!) but you might be pleasantly surprised at how this amp delivers. Of course this is only my humble (and non-expert) opinion and your 2 cents might differ, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Oh yeah, it IS heavy!. Regards, Steve.