I recently saw an online ad for a Fosgate FAPT1 processor for sale. The seller claims he bought it 2 months ago from the factory (impossible, since Fosgate is no longer making this unit anymore, and stopped doing so some years back!). Anyway the asking price is $500 which seemed good for a unit that was only used once and then packed back up (if it is actually in good shape, as the seller claims).
But what REALLY got my attention, is a claim on the web that the FAPT1 is a clone of the Outlaw 950!

Given the 'no audio' problems that many have reported with the 970, I started to wonder if I could find a used 950 as a poor man's sub for the 990 (even with the price break). So the FAPT1 looks interesting.

I assume the 950 shared some of the same attributes, such as on screen display not available on component video output and not transcoding svideo and composite video to component.

The FAPT1 is based on the Model 950 platform, although they did add an extra component input and may have beefed up some of the analog section components (after all, it retailed for a bit more than three times what the 950 sold for, and the front panel LCD alone wouldn't justify all that).

The FAPT1 and 950 used the Cirrus 49300 processor. As a result, there are a few features missing: Pro Logic IIx, AV sync adjustment, and individual speaker distance settings come immediately to mind. Also, it uses a triple crossover rather than the quad crossover offered by the 970 and 990. Component video switching is purely switching - no transcoding of s-video and composite video sources to component, and no OSD on component. Having said all that, if it is still under warranty I'd say that $500 is a pretty decent deal. You might also check to see what used 950's are going for on Audiogon as well, though - might be another opportunity for a big surround processor value.

I'm sure the Fosgate name adds $1000 to the price tag too! I'm not sure if the unit is still under warranty (did Fosgate give a 5 year warranty and was it transferable?). I haven't YET seen a used 950 on either Audiogon, Videogon, or 'fleabay', but then I haven't been looking for more than a few weeks.

The triple crossover limit and the lack of prologic IIX don't seem like a big deal since I'm probably only going to set up a 5.1 speaker system, the room doesn't really lend itself well to 7.1. I'm not sure about the individual speaker distance settings though.

Also the unit doesn't have an auto setup mode using a microphone to set speaker levels, I don't recall if the 950 or 970 do either. (The 990 DOES). Is the avsync adjustment the same as the 'lip sync' thing?

AV sync is the "lip sync" thing - allows the audio signal to be delayed to compensate for video delays incurred by video processing. The 950 and 970 both lack auto setup, just like the FAPT1. Individual speaker distance settings never really bothered me much, and in a 5.1 system the lack of PLIIx and the quad crossover are a complete non-issue.

Well someone already beat me to it.
(my validation to use audiogon is in my
email box at home).
Maybe I should have keep my mouth shut.......

BTW google search showed that they sold out
the last of Fosgates FAPT1's on www.woot.com
at $850 each in 2005.

Actually, the Woot sale was for the FAP-T1+ which was NOT based on the same chassis as the 950 and it did include a number of the features that Gonk correctly identifies as not available in the 950 or the FAP-T1.