Outlaw 950 .. need your input (1 Viewer)

[joel jocson]

I read various posts about the outlaw 950 and how much owners like it but I am curious to know what about the 950 is bad/lacking/not good etc... Dont tell me none either. There is nothing perfect.

 

[Bob_L]

-- The remote control sucks
-- You can't setup separate treble/bass/subwoofer configurations by input. All setup is global
-- You can't disable subwoofer output from the prepro, even in stereo bypass mode. You have to turn off the subwoofer
-- The side surrounds and back surrounds use the same delay setting
-- The AM/FM tuner works well but the tuning interface is pretty lame and clumsy
-- Some folks don't like the way it looks
-- Some folks don't like the feel of the buttons and volume knob on the front panel
-- Some folks don't like the second room audio implementation (I've never used it, so I don't know)
-- Any change to treble, bass or balance etc. is a permanent change. There is no temporary alteration to setup that is reset when you restart the system
-- The very brief delay as the system detects the digital input format bothers some folks
-- There are other things I'm not thinking of that other folks will recall

Of these, only the first -- the remote control -- bothers me. It's clumsy and I "hit my head" on it almost every day in some way or other.

In exchange for those faults, you get a $900 prepro with a huge number of digital decoding options, lots of flexibility, and clean sound with wide open yet detailed imagery. An excellent piece, IMHO, and also in the opinion of several guests who have heard my system with the 950.

 

[Sankar]

-- No software upgrades
-- No 7.1 inputs (only 5.1) to accomodate future 7.1 external processors
-- You WILL hear a hiss if you live in the speaker's tweeter
-- the remote sucks
-- the remote sucks even more
-- the remote sucks BIG time
... but I love its sound

 

[Chuck Kent]

I am an Outlaw fan. I bought one of the 1st ICBMs released.

That said, I chose to not buy a 950. My main reasons were...

1. Early production run troubles.
Most of these have been sorted out. And I have no doubt that the remainders (mostly now hiss) will be too. But it still bothered me that they were there.

2. No separate LFE adjustment.
Just a subwoofer volume up & down only. IMO, just a really bad idea when trying to blend a music and movie processor.

3. Only global channel volume settings.
This is something I could live with. But when I see other lesser products have it (like Denon receivers) then I still see it as a negative.

4. The 5.1 input has a permanent 80Hz lowpass engaged.
The highpass is switchable. Why in the world isn't the lowpass? Depending on the system connected to the 950, an 80Hz lowpass may be totally inappropriate.

If this sounds like any kind of put down on the 950, it's not. IMO, it represents THE best value in all of home theater. But, like you mentioned, nothing is perfect. So, at least for now, it's not for me. (I am looking forward to the no holds barred pre-pro Outlaw keeps mentioning. If it were to come in around $2500 to $3000, I might be VERY interested!)

 

[Bob_L]

Chuck and Sankar:

You know. We all forgot the WORST thing about the 950.

YOU CAN'T GET ONE OF THE DAMNED THINGS!!!!!

Since Sankar and I were early and lucky, it's reasonable that we missed this. But the delivery schedule for 950's has been mysterious and frustrating for those on the wait list. If you need something NOW, the Outlaw 950 isn't the answer.

 

[Jed M]

Bob_L, I think you hit the nail right on the head. Its got its quirks and problems, but none more glaring than that.

 

[Sankar]

Exactomundo!

 

[rodneyH]

yep, my dad just got a 1066 b/c the 950 is unabtainable. Pretty tough to promote a product that you can't get your hands on.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Neither the 950 or the Rotel has a distance/delay setting for the sub. Makes it slightly more likely that even though you can still get your sub in phase with the mains, that they still might not be time aligned.
Double bass problem with the 5.1 inputs *without* high passing the mains. Rotel says that the 1066 has this problem too, except that on the Rotel, there is no analog crossover on the 5.1 inputs so you can't avoid it like you can on the Outlaw.
24/48's for ADCs. There are people out there who still spin an album every now and then.
Can't rename the inputs on the display.
Even still, for $900 it's a great value. It'll be nice when they start shipping again. "How *not* to introduce a flagship product."

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Kevin,

Is this common on any sub $1000 product? I have only ever seen this setting on one processor, and it was a $5000 model. I have owned (and troubleshooted) maybe 25 different receiver products and have never seen a sub delay setting, so I wonder is this more common than I have happened to discovered so far?

My complaints with the 950 are:
1) Remote, although I knew coming in because a friend has the 1050 and the remotes are similar. Thankfully, it's a non issue with the Pronto.
2) Still haven't figured out if there is a direct access to multizone input/volume settings without the menu (would like to adjust the volume from the second room).
3) Having a little trouble getting everything figured out in terms of audio DSPs and how to apply them by default- but working on that.
4) I have noticed an increase in edgy distortion in dialog since adding the 950- although it could be in the source (I have been watching a lot of lower budget films lately), and it might have always been there and I simply wasn't paying close attention (although doubtful). I'm going to go through the signal chain top to bottom before I blame the outlaw.

But, like the other said, for $900 it's tough to beat. There are many things I really like about it- namely how the menus work (so they can be navigated on screen or on the face of the unit simultaneously)-- this is brilliant!

-V

 

[randy bessinger]

I believe the B&K Ref 30 has a distance setting for the sub.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

The Sony TA-E9000ES also has a distance setting to the sub.

 

[Mifr44]

Chuck,
"(I am looking forward to the no holds barred pre-pro Outlaw keeps mentioning. If it were to come in around $2500 to $3000, I might be VERY interested!)"
Sounds like the Anthem AVM-20 with the soon-to-be-released DPL-II/DTS-ES upgrade to me!
Michael

 

[Bob_L]

Hey Michael,

The next time you need to break wind, go someplace else. This is a thread in which a guy asked about the Outlaw 950.

 

[Kevin L K]

I hate to say this folks but Sony's $399.00(retail)STR-DE885 receiver has a distance setting for the sub :b

 

[Mifr44]

Bob_L,
Well, at least if I was going to break wind on this thread, I did it in your direction! Lighten up guy, this is just HT discussion.
Before my post there were posts mentioning Rotel, B&K and Sony processors. Why not flame them? Besides, I was responding to a post saying that the 950 wasn't for them and that they were waiting for some "super prepro" from Outlaw in the price range that happens to be around where the Anthem AVM-20 can be gotten for. My post was a suggestion for THAT individual.
Michael

 

[RajeeK]

Well I know my 49TX has a distance for the sub also. It was certainly sub (no pun intended) $5000.

 

[Sankar]

My old Denon 2700 had a sub distance setting ($600 2 years ago), the Denon 3801 had it ... and I assume that the Denon 3802 also has it

 

[Legairre]

My Denon 3300 had a distance setting, but my 1066 doesn't. Come on Rotel. This should have been included.

 

[Rex Bills]

I love my 950! I was lucky enough to get one before they stopped shipping them and I have NO complaints. It gets better and better as I play with it and it does everything I have thrown at it so far.
I like it's look and I like it's remote, too. The remote's one big complaint (no controls for a DVD player) are easily worked around. Being a computer gamer, it is very easy to use the number pad for menu control (8 for up, 2 for down, 4 for left, 6 for right) and the "enter" button is next to these. Then I progammed the buttons in a circle to control the DVD player.
Other ways around the above is to use the 4 macro buttons for menu or DVD control or simply to switch to another of the 8 main buttons that is not being used and use it to control the DVD's menu or transport.