Almost 3 weeks ago, I took delivery of my new 56" TV. On Saturday, I get my speaker system (2 pairs of B&W DM605S2's and a LCR6S2). I already have my progressive scan dvd player.

Currently, I do not have a receiver of any sort.

Now you understand my hell.

Here are my choices
1) do nothing and wait for the 950/770
2) buy the 1050
3) buy the 1050 and either sell it or move to the bedroom and get the 950/770 when it comes out
4) buy the carver c1000a (i can get that super cheap, under 800)
5) buy the carver c1000a and either sell it or move to the bedroom and get the 950/770
when it comes out.

additonal facts:
1) i have spent about $1500 more than i have wanted to so far on my music/hometheater set up. About the difference between the Carver and the 950/770. This not huge, but an important note.

2) I will most likely not move to a 6 or 7 channel set up for at least 1 year.

3) I am frothing at the mouth wanting to get my system set up.

4) I reserved the 950/770 and would like to keep that promise.

5) it is most likely that the 950, that will cost around 900 (depends on how you treat the family discount) would be replaced by me in a year or so, when Outlaws new processor comes out, hopefully after a lot of things (such as firewire for DVD-A) come to fruition. If I was willing to replace the 950 in a year or so, it makes sense that I buy the 1050 or the carver, which costs less than the 950, and wait until the new processor comes out and get that and the 770 then.

6) I am in so much pain, I can't think.

7) i reseverd my 950/770 in late december, prior to Christmas. I bring this up becuase Outlaw, logically, is shipping in order of when the item is reserved.

Please help me. Please.

Rich

I vote for option C. Only because that's exactly where I was about a month ago, and exactly what I did.

Of course, I was looking at using the 1050 for about 6 weeks, and I pre-arranged its sale to a friend for $400. Your situation might be different, since it is now about a month later and we're hoping to see the 950 in the next few weeks or so.

I don't know if it will make you feel any better, but I know _exactly_ how you feel. I had $2k worth of speakers sitting in my living room for nearly a month before I finally gave in and bought the 1050.

Then the 1050 died on me, and I am again receiverless while a replacement winds its merry way here from California via the Interstate. But I seriously believe that's a fluke... just a cruel twist of fate for poor ol' me...

If you plan to replace the 950 with "something better" in a year, it may not make sense to get it at all. Get the 1050 and replace _it_ with "something better" in a year. I plan to keep the 950 for three or four years, so for me buying it is worth it.

Not to mention that in three or four years I may or may not be in the same financial situation. Better to get something that I really want and will be happy with now, while I know I can afford it.

Also, I don't know if this makes you feel any better or not, but my original A/V budget was around $2k. I've since spent more than that on _speakers_, and it looks like the total budget will come out to just about three times that.

Well, that's what you get when jump headfirst into this kind of thing... of course, I'm also getting a far better system than I ever dreamed I'd be able to own. It's taking longer than I'd hoped, but I'm sure I'll be enjoying it for years to come.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net

I vote for B. Buy the 1050. Wait until the new processor comes out, buy it, then the 770. One thing though, if you keep waiting for the next best thing, you end up with nothing.

You might want to just go with the 1050 now and if somebody wants it (audiogon, ebay. . . ) then sell it at minimal loss. If it doesn't sell, the bedroom is not a bad thought. That's where mine is going to go, once the 950's budget materializes. Then the HK that's in the bedroom will go to the garage and the garage stereo will go to the guest room. The trickle down effect really works.

If you're not planning on going to 6 or 7 channels for a while, it might be just as well that you wait for the finalization of firewire as you mentioned. If its a year or two, no real big issue, as I bet you'll be happy enough with the 1050. Another thought would be to buy the 770 for 'future proofing' and run it off the 1050.

S.

I'm going to come off sounding like a bastard saying this, but I'd really recommend #1. Only, don't "do nothing." Spend some quality time with your wife / girlfiend / boyfriend / friends / relatives. Get out of the house and away from all that great equipment and have some fun of the non-audiophile variety.

I do feel your pain. I really do. I've got a Golden Theater / Dunlavy / Velodyne setup that just BEGS me to fill that hole in the middle of my equipment rack. But what's a month compared to the years to come that you'll have to enjoy your setup. In the end, stereo equipment will not buy you happiness. Of course, hanging out with your friends and loved ones and watching some movies on your bitchin' home theater system doesn't hurt.

I say all this not to harsh on your audio addiction -- I have it too -- but to hopefully lend some perspective to whatever you chose to do. Spending large chunks of money because you are "frothing at the mouth" at this particular moment may be something you end up regretting down the road.

Aiee! Now he tells me!

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net

I should mention that this is my first foray into midfi stuff. before this, my stuff would have made you cringe....

As for my original budget, it was 5,000. I crushed, but thank god I didn't triple it.

Rich

Well, when you get ready to sell your 950, let me know.

michael_mcclellan@hotmail.com

IMHO, it sounds to me like you are obsessing over your HT. You've spent $1500 more than you were planning to spend and you are ready to spend another $500 to buy a 1050 that you'll use a maximum of a month or two. Unless you are independently wealthy, I would recommend option 1.

Look on the back of your new RPTV -- some rear projectors have speaker outputs. As a temporary kluge you could use the internal amp or if there's no speaker level outputs you could use the internal speakers. Sure the sound will be far from optimal, but with a month or two of patience you will have your 950/770 combo and you will have $500 in your pocket to boot. And $500 will buy a whole pile of DVDs. Or even a majority of a HDTV capable sattelite receiver.

EricC

I actually winded up buying the Carver. I got it for under 800 (I have a friend who got it at an employee price for me). They typically go for about 1300.

The only problem with the Carver is that it is a bit dated in terms of DSP's, but the amp, DAC and sound are amazing.

I am thinknig that I will keep this and get the 770 and next generation pre/pro. I think it will have more digital inputs and be more up-to-date in terms of whatever turns out to be the standarad for DVD-A and SACD.

I am not ready for greater than 5.1 right now anyway, so it turns out not to matter.

I figure I will either sell the Carver in a few months at basically no loss or use it as a stereo receiver with light HT in a 2nd room. It is nice looking (too many lights though) and it sounds so good that I could use it for stereo forever.

Rich