Next week, NAD Electronics will debut its new T 977, a seven–channel amplifier (replacing the NAD T 975) at a list of $2,799. The T 977 is specified to deliver 140 watts of continuous power out of each of its seven channels. NAD rates its receivers with a 4-ohm load, with all channels driven simultaneously, over the full frequency bandwidth (20 Hz – 20 kHz), and at rated distortion.

The T 977 employs NAD’s PowerDrive which claims to nearly double the effective power on transients by adding a second high-voltage rail to a well regulated, high-current power supply. The result is an “overdrive” that can nearly double the continuous power on a short-term, dynamic power basis. A soft clipping feature limits high frequency energy during clipping to protect the loudspeaker from damage. Any amplifier that is overdriven (asked to generate levels beyond its undistorted capabilities) will produce distortion (clipping). The result is not only very harsh sound but can often damage speakers, especially tweeters. The selectable “soft clipping” feature on NAD amplifiers, including the T 977, transforms the music waveform as the point of clipping approaches, resulting in much clearer reproduction and simultaneous protection of speakers, according to NAD.

The T 977 is a GreenAV receiver in that it saves energy via an automatic standby mode, during which it only draws 0.5 watts of power. It was developed with system integration in mind as it includes a programmable 12V trigger input and individual gain adjustments for each channel.

Here are all the specs: http://www.nadelectronics.com