Good news everyone!
The PnPROM got a little sibling in form of a DIP-socket - also finishing that I can finally start adding the DIP socket for the wavetable ROM (also for the amplifiers ... but I'll do that later) and implementing 16MB RAM.
Also new screenshot
Bad news everyone!
Adding a SIMM72 socket really adds up to the PCB size (almost 10cm!) making the card slightly longer than the GUS PnP, which in turn cranks up the price for the PCB. I might be able to shrink parts a bit more to make the ARGUS less than 20cm in length so finding a PCB plant becomes a lot easier (currently it would be 23cm - 2cm longer than the GUS PnP).
On a positive side this gives me quite a bunch of unused PCB space, which can be used for possibly adding additional ROM slots (or add circuits to support FlashROMs which can be reprogrammed without taking the card out of the slot), 1MB SOJ-RAM as a solderable option for those folks who may not want to use SIMMs, increasing the size of the font naming all contributors and donors for the project and adding a short manual for the card directly on the board - possibly even a small breadboard-style area for prototyping. I'm certainly up for ideas what do to with the unused space (nopes, still no native AdLib/SoundBlaster support).
http://i.imgur.com/VMgijQB.jpg
EDIT: okay, just checked with a possible PCB plant - once one orders a decent amount they become dirt cheap ($13 for a 20x10cm PCB, gold plated pads, full e-check, german made, no v-groving [feature of the ISA connector so it goes into the slot easier - which is _NOT_ required, but makes a nice and professional looking PCB - left it out for now, as it increases the price by 200% - I'll leave that up for discussion later once all prototyping has been done])
EDIT2:
Alternative beta proposal (ignore the airwires and general mayhem): http://i.imgur.com/GqWFBvP.jpg
Allows using the original ROM (or a compatible SMD variant) or a DIP variant that will most likely happen - or DIP and SMD variants of different ROMs, switchable by jumpers.
Also maintains the SOJ-RAM (might add a second one) for folks who'll just use the UltraSound classic compatibility mode and don't need the full 16MB RAM.