The oppos built in volume control is VERY good. I couldnt beleive it as well when we wanted to do a last minute demo with the DV970HD but we didnt have a preamp on hand and we used the Bel Canto REF1000 amps into some expensive bookshelfs. I was scared that it wasnt going to work right or have some popping noise or something when we turned the amps on, but it was straight silent. It was stunning that it sounded so good to say the least. Just make sure you keep the volume down all the way when you turn the amps on. No problems, no noise. The new DV980HD is got a ton of potential, Oppo outdid themselves on this latest model.
