Based on some discussion in older newsletters, it seems clear that Outlaw considered it, but for the price range they were trying to complete in (alongside the Rotel RSP-1066, for example, which also excludes THX) they felt that the additional cost to go through THX certification was too significant for too little performance return. (I just noticed that Rotel's got a big new pre/pro coming out soon that also omits THX.)

The online market is definitely a different environment than the storefront, as several companies have been proving in recent years. Look at companies like SVS, BetterCables, or AV123 (with their distribution of the Swan and Rocket speakers) and the success that they've had. Or look at other markets -- Baen Books (a science fiction publisher), for example, maintains a forum similar to the Saloon and makes many of their books available for free download (a behavior that is in direct opposition to the policy of other publishers); by offering a book free online, they typically see sales of that book, its sequels, and other books by that author increase. In Outlaw's case, one could make a case that Outlaw relies on venues like this forum (and the 30-day return policy, of course) to offer a sense of reassurance to potential buyers, as opposed to pursuing THX certification as an indicator of quality. It's in some ways a riskier approach -- you can see a lot more honest picture of user satisfaction with the Outlaw products here, foibles and all, than would be visible with THX certification -- but judging by their success in the last couple years I'm guessing that it has paid off.

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