I was also in very early on the 722... had 1.01 firmware when it arrived.... I ran it for a year or so and had absolutely no issues other than one overheating problem in 100+ degree stealth at a festival that was corrected by a firmware fix a week or two later.
Since selling that unit I have run the gamut of recording gear and considered many options before ending up where I am now...
When I sold the 722 I had planned to go multi-channel wiht a Foxtex or DEVA... that was not to be as my wife got pregnant and we now have a little goy soon to be 1yr old...
With the multi-channel out I purchased a HD-P2...serial #032 or something very low from Oade and was willing to wait for Mods but I never got comfortable with the unit, the sound was not bad and I understand that now the mods make them sound even better..... for a grand a pretty nice box, just not my favorite.
After that I ran a V3 > Microtracker and while I loved the V3 (previously owned one) the microtracker did not cut it...
Next I was running an un-modded R4 - both with a MP-2 in front and without.... With the MP-2 I really liked it but at that point the R4 was just a bit bucket... without the pre-amp the sound was horrible!!!! That unit belonging to another memeber here has since been modded by Bussman and I cannot stress enough how much the mod improoved the sound... +T Bussman
I am now back to Sound Devices - running a 702 and loving it... my u89's are moving to a new home and have been replaced by DPA 4021's... my bag is under 5 pounds and totally mobile so I can have my rig with me when I travel anywhere...
So - IMO - if you have the scratch, the simplicity, consistency and solid preformance of the SD 7xx units is worth the extra sacrifice if you are capable... In the end, everyone's ears here things a little differently and everyone's budget is not the same... My reccomendation, try to match your equipment, it sucks to run great mics into a crappy pre-amp, it also sucks to run crappy mics into a great deck... Match gear, ears, and budget and be happy, experiment, borrow, trade, that is what makes all this fun.
For what it is worth - If I had my choice, where money was not a real factor and open taping was allowed I would probably go to DPA Large Diaphrams (4) or (6) and a Deva... The rig would still be portable and yield extrordinary sound... Reality - I will be thrilled to own a 744T or the new Sonosax SX-R4 in a year or so and possibly a spare set of mics - maybe 4023's to get into multi-channel....
CQBert