Not being tough, just trying to get the main points here.

It appears that you're talking about a matrixed affair, a la Logic 7, otherwise, the delay setting of the surround back speakers is moot and controlling 'steering' isn't possible within Dolby processing.

I'm primarily interested in MC music of all types. This means that I don't need any delay settings. I modified the room to reflect my interest, and would never introduce 2 extra matrixed channels to add ambience, or anything else for that matter.

SACD and DVD-A are 5.1 formats played through the 6 CH BYPASS mode of the 950.

Manipulation of the surrounds in these formats is better achieved in the player, otherwise, conversion from analog to digital and back to analog would be required or, an outboard analog processor.

Acoustic music performed in a live environment I understand, but...within Dolby processing...loses me.

What serious listener of ANY genre of music would purchase it in DD?

'pop music' is never 'multi-miked' and acoustic MC music in a hall environment is usually 'super mixed', or, I don't know what these terms mean.

In fact, the 6 channel analog bypass mode of the 950, with it's extremely accurate 80 Hz bass management engaged, used with a good player, the right 5 satellite and subwoofer system, properly placed to eliminate the need for delay settings and separate amps with gain control offers EXCELLENT calibration tweaks and reproduction of SACD formatted, multi channel acoustic music performed in a hall environment.

I guarantee that it will sound better than any Dobly formatted disc, regardless of the preamp/processor used, or how the surrounds are electronically manipulated to the room and frequency contoured.

I've never met anyone who can hear a 1/2 dB change in the surround speakers, and, how would you measure that difference at the LP?

I'm able to engage routing schemes with my player and the 950 that are only otherwise available in the MC-12 model from Lex. Even then, the Lex would require the extra step of A/D/DSP/A conversions/manipulations. Would the Lex do it more accurately, sonically speaking? I don't know. I'd have to pay 10 times the price of the 950 and spend several weeks with the Lex to find out...something I'm not willing to do.

Ordering, buying, not liking (for whatever reason...some have not liked it because they thought it's 'ugly') and sending it back is perfectly reasonable. In fact, it's how the Outlaw model is designed to work.

I just got a bit confused trying to understand the reasons for not liking it.

Yes...this is a tough room. It's the kind of tough that doesn't tolerate generalizations well and this makes it a great place to learn all things MC audio and more importantly, all things Outlaw 950.

You can do very cool things with the 950 that aren't in the manual, and you can't do some things that might be a personal requirement and therefore, a deal breaker.

Of course, Lex makes GREAT products.