While posting my praise of the Outlaw 950 on another site, I realized that almost every time I turn it on there is one moment when my ears perk up and I realize the Outlaw has done something that is utterly delightful and reminds me why I love the art and science of audio reproduction.

This must be happening to other owners of Outlaw products and maybe they're worth sharing. If not, I'll just sit here in this thread by myself.

To kick it off, tonight's "Outlaw Moment" came while watching a DirecTiVo recording of "Lagaan," an INCREDIBLE Indian film that makes a cricket match fascinating for FOUR HOURS!! (How the movie does that is one of the greatest feats of legerdemain in the history of film, IMHO.)

During one of the musical numbers (Yeah, you heard that right. Musical numbers.), some large drums began a particularly commanding phrase. The broadcast mix was in Dolby Digital 2.0; but in DPL2-C, the four or five instruments seemed like they suddenly dropped into the room and began trading riffs from all around the listening area. Even more remarkable was how detailed the vibration of those huge drum heads sounded. You could make out the individual characteristic of each instrument. Stunning. And the kind of audio delight that just damn near made you giggle.

Since I'm already jealously guarding what masculine presence I have left at my age, I avoided giggling and, instead, just turned to my wife and said, "That's tonight's Outlaw moment."

What's your most recent Outlaw Moment?

[This message has been edited by bobliinds (edited August 31, 2002).]

What's your most recent Outlaw Moment?

[This message has been edited by bobliinds (edited August 31, 2002).][/B][/QUOTE]


I can tell you what my "Outlaw Moment" will be, when I get that email from them!

BTW, Great post.
DmC

I can't wait to post to this !!

As soon as I get my 950/770 & dual SVS CS+'s

I do seem to have Outlaw moments every day. In fact I’m playing far too many movies out of the old collection, not for the movies sake but just to enjoy the experience of what the Outlaw does to it

I can’t count how many whole movies I’ve ended up watching just for the sound right now!!!

Its nice when I get a recommendation for a great film which I have not viewed before, (“Glory” highly recommended, very beautiful and perfectly blended soundtrack) then I can just immerse myself in the story. Yet I still find myself having tiny Outlaw breaks no matter how riveting the plot - even on first views, where I think WOW that sounds GOOD, before I dive back into the story. Or a typical occurrence right now, once I’ve viewed (and got the story down) replaying parts (or all) to hear that again.

The guys were watching at some visitor’s request, - Harry Potter, They were so impressed with the absolute crystal clarity (crystal deliberate) of Harry breaking the vase in the Wand Sellers shop as it pans hard to the Right. Its like the roof comes off the room and the crash and tinkle of the glass, - spirals up and out into the night…..
They replayed it 3 or 4 times.

Had another Outlaw Moment this evening while watching "Dark Waters," a movie by the director of the original Japanese "The Ring."

This was a VCD mixed in two-channel analog but good frequency response. The audio track was very front-locked and subdued -- appropriate to the mood of the film, I suppose -- but at a crucial moment in the second part of the film, an audio FX "fog" clouded the room and the subwoofer just kind of rolled with the waves at a subliminal level. Tres cool. I was using DTS Neo:6 to provide the surround logic.

By the way, a rather nice, if sad, film and evidence that M. Night Shyamalan doesn't have the corner on cinematic mood pieces. (I liked "Dark Waters" more than "Signs.")

[This message has been edited by bobliinds (edited September 01, 2002).]

The beginning of Lord of the Rings

The "battle" in the Coloseum track on Gladiator (come to think of it the initial battle scene in Germania as well).

The scene in "The Astronaut's Wife" where the glass is breaking; I thought the plate glass window in front had broken; instant panic.
Mike

Here's a new "Outlaw Moment" that was practically an entire movie.

"Session 9"

Atmospheric and weird. But the soundtrack is virtually a "musique concrete" composition from beginning to end. (Sorry, you'll have to look it up.) Just lots of very precise audio effects with subtle directional cues and timbral shifts. VERY well done.

And VERY well reproduced by the Outlaw 950. Caught it in DD5.1 from DirecTV and it was just great. A real tutorial in using audio to enhance the creepiness of a film and, IMHO, a great example to shove at people who think film soundtrack playback is not as painstaking as two-channel music playback.