Gooch,

I still have my 950 and I just bought a 970. I remember the Wow factor going from my Yamaha receiver to the 950. I had that same reaction going from my Harman Kardon to the 970. The 950 and 970 are set up in separate rooms with totally different speakers and amps. My 970 is setup with what I would consider the lesser of the 2 systems (my bedroom) with a Parasound amp. I have to be honest, I think the 970 sounds "clearer" to me. I had the Wow factor, and this was after spending time with the 950 since it was first introduced. This is just my opinion, taking into account the differences in the 2 setups. Here is my setup.

Living Room:

Outlaw 950
Outlaw 7100 amp
Paradigm Monitor 7, 350 center,mini-Monitors surround speakers

Bedroom:

Outlaw 970
Parasound 855
Klipsch RC3II, Quintets, Def Tech surrounds

Just my input on the sound, not the "no audio" issue.