I just received this email. Cheer up campers, this ride may be coming to an end. Here is some of the email I just received.


Dear Fellow Outlaw,

We are pleased to announce that work has been completed on the hiss issue that you reported as occurring on your unit. As one of the first customers for the Model 950 we appreciate your loyalty, and we are sending you this message before we release this news to our general mailing list. We realize that it has taken more time than we anticipated to solve the problem, so we wanted you to be the first to know. We appreciate your patience and support during the past few months and we are confident the resolution of this issue will add to your enjoyment of your Model 950.

That said, here are the details and procedures for replacing your existing Model 950 with an updated unit:

Our plan is to send you a unit that has all the modifications related to the performance improvement. To keep things straight, be advised that the unit you will receive is rebuilt to the latest factory specifications and carefully inspected to assure that it is in "like new" condition, but it will probably not be a brand new unit. Our reason for doing this is to speed the replacement to you as quickly as possible so that you are not without a processor at any time. However, for those who wish to have their specific unit rebuilt, we will be pleased to accommodate those requests. And, as previously promised, we will pay the freight both ways no matter which option you choose.

As evidence of our confidence in these units, we are re-starting your five-year parts and labor warranty so that it starts on the date we ship the replacement, not the date for the original unit.

In terms of timing, we have already built up a pool of units that is sufficient to cover the needs of everyone who has requested a replacement due to the hiss issue. Thus, with accommodations for the Labor Day holiday, we will begin shipments during the first week of September. To initiate the process, please follow these steps:
...


We hope this information addresses all of the procedural issues, but in scanning the Saloon, we realize that some of you will have additional questions. So at the risk of making this message a bit longer than we had planned, here's a bit of a "mini-FAQ" on the Model 950 as of this moment:

Q. Is the hiss issue fixed, and what is the status of shipments?
A. Yes, the hiss issue has been solved. As you read this we are preparing to send replacement units to those who have registered with us that their 950 is one of those impacted by the problem. It should take no more than two weeks to replace those units. Once that project is complete we will immediately begin contacting those on the reservation list and begin shipping to those customers upon receipt of billing information. However, due to what is still an extensive waiting list it will take a few weeks to fill all the reservations. Our commitment to assist existing owners before re-starting shipments for new sales still stands.

Q. What was caused the problem?
A. The problem was caused by the stack-up of a number minor items. None of them would cause the problem by itself, and when you combine that with the many variables in your individual systems, you have something that was hard to track down. No, there wasn't one single root cause. Unfortunately, tracking everything down, validating the fixes and making sure that the fix didn't take break anything else was obviously a lengthy process, but we needed to take the time to do it right and test the fix both internally and externally.

Q. How did you solve the problem?
A. Given the fact that there were a variety of minor issues contributing to the cause, the fix was a number of adjustments. In broad strokes, some component values were changed slightly and the circuit flow was adjusted to avoid the introduction of noise.

Q. Were there any other changes made to the product?
A. Nothing major that alters its performance. As we've said all along, if a unit sounds good, it IS good. If it was in a system where there was a hiss issue, the changes will fix that. Some very minor upgrades were made as maintenance issues that all manufacturers make as running changes during a product's life cycle, as well as to allow for the integration of the fixes to the hiss problem.

Q. How do I know that the unit I receive has been updated?
A. All replacement units will have a slightly larger serial number label than the original unit. The serial number will start with an "01" and there will be a red dot on the label. This is your indication that the unit has been rebuilt to the latest specifications.

Q. What will happen to the unit I send back?
A. We will re-build those units to current specifications and hold them in reserve for service replacements, review units and other internal purposes. Of course, they cannot, and WILL NOT be sold as new, and given the relatively small number of units involved, we need them for other purposes and have no plans to offer them as "B" stock.
OK, we'll sneak in two questions that do NOT involve the Model 950:

Q. What's the story on the Model 7100?
A. It is on schedule and barring unforeseen circumstances it will ship this fall. More details on the Model 7100, including the power specs will be available in our next Update newsletter.

Q. How are the Outlaws doing?
A. All things considered, just fine, thanks! Sure, we'd rather not have had to put everyone, including ourselves, through all the hassles the initial shipments have caused. However, we are confident that all of this will end up bringing you a better unit that remains the best value in home theater. Our company remains strong, and we have many exciting plans for the next twelve months that will continue to surprise the competition and please our customers!

Thanks again for hanging in there with us!
Regards,

The Outlaws