Obviously, if "The Outlaws" had ANY good news at all.......they would have posted it either here on the Saloon (which they no doubt monitor) or as a News Update on their web site.

These guys are (I assume) intellegent business folks who understand marketing, as well as their customer base. And if they do in fact monitor/moderate this forum site, they surely know that their loyal customer base is disintegrating every minute they remain silent on these issues with the 950.

I too am one of many HT enthusiasts who have $$$ burning a hole in my pocket. I've got a serious Jones to buy a new HT set up....yesterday. If I don't hear any news (good or bad) soon........I'm just going to pull the trigger elsewhere. Maybe, just maybe, this 950 has got so many problems, that it isn't worth waiting for. And maybe that's why these boys aren't talking.

Which brings me to my original point. They know that they need to communicate with us, yet they don't. This tells me that (at least from their perspective) whatever thay do have to say must be pretty bad news. They obviuosly believe that any statement from them regarding the situation with the 950 would cause even greater harm than their deafening silence.

Evidently there must be some pretty nasty news out there regarding the AT 2000.

Evidently there must be some pretty ugly updates on the shipping status of the 950 itself.

Maybe they spoke too soon as to the capabilities of this new dream 950 pre-amp.

Maybe they've gotten their #^*$?@ in a sling over patents or something.

One thing is for sure, that the consumers will continue to speculate until "The Outlaws" themselves come forth and level with us, somehow, someway.

Or maybe, just maybe, "....all that glitters is not gold."

Well, it's over for me. I just picked up a B&K Reference 30 Pre/Pro. I've waited patiently for the 950 but I just couldn't hold out any longer. I hope the 950 ships soon for all you guys but for me the wait is over.

-MikeS-

To MikeS and Stunr I say congrats on your new toys. You certainly will enjoy them for many hours. I was wondering how much you each paid for your new babies. The cheapest i've seen the bk 30 was for $2300, and the anthem20 $2500. Almost the $2700 total you would have paid for the 950/770 combo. I wish I could spend an extra $1400-1600 bucks.
I wait another 3 months for that money. Thats money towards some new speakers for me and my amateur ears probably wont hear the difference anyway.

HELP!!!! I need my 950!!!! My Sony D50Q, amps, and speakers are set up waiting for a processor! The 950 release is taking so long I will need to redo the convergence on the D50Q!!! Please---any news, any at all!!!! Very, Very soon I will need to make other arrangements! Any suggestions anyone???

Buy a temporary receiver. That's what I did. I had speakers lying around my apartment unused until I finally decided to buy a 1050 a few weeks ago. I plan to sell it as soon as the 950 is released.

Maybe they (Outlaw) should give out loner 1050s until the 950 is released (with the understanding that a 950 WILL be purchased)? That would be good customer service! After all, they should keep us informed of progress (or lack of) so we (the consumers) can plan our lives.

That would be a lot of B stock receivers for them to unload after they do release the 950. I think the multiple delays are probably costing them enough already.

Would I not be better off buying a B&K Ref 30 or Lexicon instead of a 1050 and then a 950? The cost would be about the same (used street prices)and I would not end up with an extra piece of equipment to unload!

Isn't the B&K somewhere around $2500 or so? I think a 950 + a 1050 still beats that, especially if you unload the 1050 for only a small loss. I'm reselling my 1050 for $400, so I'll basically be out $1000 by the time I get the 950.

You can probably get a new Ref 30 for around $2200 if you shop around some, or the Anthem AVM-20 for between $2600 and $3200. A Lexicon is likely to cost even more, unless you go with a used DC-1 (which would probably cost between $1000 and $1500). The 1050 will set you back $500, and will likely earn you a "family" discount (probably $50 or so, but they haven't announced anything yet about it) on the 950. That makes the combined cost around $1350, discounting the $100 or so you'll probably have to pay in shipping (but we've been ignoring shipping and/or tax anyway...). Worst case, you could sell the 1050 on Audiogon or eBay for more than $300 (there's a 1050 on Audiogon that sold for $330, I'd probably ask closer to $400 for one with only a month or two of use on it) or have it for a bedroom system. Now, there is the fact that a B&K Ref 30 or Anthem would give more performance than a 1050 while you wait, and nobody really knows how the 950 would compare to the pre/pros that are currently available (you may end up with something you'd like more in the long term, too, although at a higher cost). If you are like stott or Matthew Hill or slick1964 and need something to serve as processor, an inexpensive receiver as temporary pre/pro is one option if you really want to go with the 950 (or your budget won't allow some of the more expensive pre/pro options available and you don't want to go with an older model like the Lexicon DC-1). If you are just wanting to upgrade an existing system and are tired of waiting, that's a whole different story...

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Gonk