Has anyone else noticed that I seem to be the only one left still commenting on the 950 after all these months? Did the rest of the folks get dissatisfied with the 950 or with Outlaw, or just get damn tired of talking about and defending the 950 and Outlaw?

Just wondering... it seems like the last posts by most of us originals were about a month(or more?) ago? Wonder why?

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Take Care,
merc

Hmmm... I figure that RAF spends most or all of his time at HTF. Gene and Jeff didn't really post before the beta test, and I think once they had made their initial reports they returned to that mode.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

JP(gonk): Yeah, but it seems like none of them are talking about the 950 on ANY forum, including HTF. So a search and see. Questions on the 950 are just being left to guessers and the usual negative folks anymore...?
Did the other folks have some problems with their 950s? With Outlaw? It just seems so strange...?

When was RAF's last post on the 950, on here, on HTF, on anywhere?

[This message has been edited by merc (edited July 29, 2002).]

Hmmmmm. Now that I searched, it seems like RAF's last HTF posts on the 950 have been totally deleted? Now... it seems like his last posts on the 950 were back in the first week of JUNE??? What in the world has happened???

Hmmmmmmmm....

Guess I may have to wander on over to HTF in the next day or two, see what's going on over there.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

Some weird stuff goes on at that place...

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net

Matt: To say the least. I haven't posted there for more than a month and I just saw my post total go from 3944 to 3938... I must have had some posts in some newly deleted threads?

[This message has been edited by merc (edited July 29, 2002).]

Maybe they left you holding the Bag

just joking of course,


thomas

Merc- Have you ever felt that you've explained things time and time again. Maybe that's what some people feel like and just choose not to participate in it any longer. A part of me feels that the wind has sort of been let out of the 950's sails (Due to problems, stop shipments, etc.). Hopefully things will pick up and there will be a plethora of questions and comments. Thanks for your willingness to carry the torch.

I think I've noticed that RAF's comment on anything have diminished, not just comments related to the Outlaw 950.

I wasn't a beta test but I did receive a 950 in the second round of shipping. I stopped posting about the 950 because I got tired of the abusive responses from a few people.

The 950 is no longer a hot topic. Simple as that. Those who received them seem to be satisfied on the whole. Those who haven't received them appear to be suffering in frustrated silence.

"long time passing" ?

"Young girls have picked them every one."

Bob: or given up and bought something else.

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net

Yo Merc - We're still here. However, after the beta program wrapped up, I installed my 950 beta unit in my Dad's system. They live two hours away in the cool Carolina mountains, so I haven't had a 950 to play with in my system for some time now.

On the other hand Dad, at age 75, is having the time of his life with the 950/750 combo we set up for him driving his B&W/Velodyne speakers in a 5.1 setup. Though he listens to a variety of stuff, his current favorite is the AIX Jimmy Ibbotsen/John McKuen DVD-A release. I have to admit that the clarity and detail provided by this bluegrass/acoustic disc, on his system is really impressive.

Further, the 950/750 system is quite a stretch from the HH Scott tube based amp and tuner kits he and I assembled back in the late 50's. At 24 watts from each of two channels driving Wharfdale speakers we had the hot setup! Wow, how times have changed.

You'd have a hard time now convincing Dad to part with his 950/750. Despite the minor production snafus, I remain impressed with the Outlaws and their achievements, and the unmatched(IMO)value in their products.

Regards - Gene

A word of explanation (not that I owe this to anyone but rumors have a way of getting out of hand and people are so far off base with this one that it begs for some comment.)

Because of a serious family illness I've greatly curtailed my activities on all forums, not just here, which is obvious, but also on the HTF which I moderate. There is absolutely no substance to the rumor (or whatever you choose to call it) that my inactivity is in any way shape or form related to any activities involving the 950, which I beta tested. And as far as I know all original messages by me regarding the Outlaw 950 (except for that infamous server crash at the beginning of this year) are still there or in the archives if one searches back far enough. It's just that, as someone else pointed out, the 950 is no longer a "hot" topic so it drops off the radar everywhere except here at the saloon which is, of course the right place to discuss it while things are worked out. Also, the business of HTF has no place here in the Outlaw Forum.

The beta test is now over and any further tweaking is in the hands of Outlaw where it belongs, not in the hands of the beta testers.

I hope that sufficiently explains things. The only thing that I find a little intriguing about this whole thread is that the original poster (who has been banned from the HTF and has chosen to sever any ties to me) was aware of my wife's situation so I find the nature of his "prodding" questions a little curious to say the least.

Whatever.

I've explained myself on this and I assume that reasonable people here will understand where I'm coming from. I refuse to be drawn into another of those endless non-debates regarding non-issues.

Case closed.

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RAF

My HT (latest update 04/17/02) Now includes Outlaw 950 and Outlaw 755


[This message has been edited by Robert A Fowkes (edited July 29, 2002).]

I am sorry to hear of the re-emergence of illness in RAF's family. I'm sure all of us here on the forums wish his family the best of luck in beating the illness and we all send along our good thoughts and prayers for a full recovery.

Talking about a silly pre/pro can in no way come close in importance to caring for an ill family member. We'll hold the fort until RAF is able to join us once again.

Very sorry to hear about the illness in the family, RAF. We know that you are not obligated to spend your waking hours at the keyboard, carrying on debates about the 950 or home theater gear in general (or anything else, for that matter), and I for one appreciate you taking the time to post your comments here. You provided us all a great service during the beta test, and we do appreciate it. All of the beta testers were helpful, but -- as you yourself pointed out before the first units started shipping -- it would make sense for other owners to start offering their two cents and providing answers to questions. I wish you and your wife the best.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

Thank you RAF for your generous attendance on this and other forums. I have enjoyed reading your posts since I started this new interest. Thank you for being kind enough to explain to us your personal and private situation amongst public forums in which I’m sure you count many online friends amongst the general acquaintances and total strangers.

Although I ‘know’ you only through the disembodied society of the web, forgive me that you somehow already seem such a familiar presence. I hope its not impertinent for me to say, how troubling it is to hear your news and how very much I wish for You and Your’s, calm and strength during a difficult time.

Sincerely,
Mary S.

I appreciate all the kind words of support and felt I should just add one more bit of information so that you have some idea of what I'm currently going through. In re-reading my previous message I may have come off a bit curt, which wasn't my intention.

My wife had an operation on a malignant glioblastoma (brain tumor) last November and was doing as well as could be expected (probably even better than the average) until a few weeks ago. The tumor is back again (which generally happens in these cases) and further operations are not possible without excessive risk (including gamma knife alternative and similar). There will be some chemotherapy (radiation therapy was used post-op last time) but at the moment she is being attended by home hospice. Those who are familiar with such matters understand how serious the situation really is. The chemo (a new Temodar/Celebrex protocol that has shown some promise of retarding a brain tumor's growth in many cases) may buy us some time but we are definitely in "prepare for the worst and hope for the best" mode.

So you can understand why the performance of a piece of hardware is not really high on my priority list at the moment.

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RAF

My HT (latest update 04/17/02) Now includes Outlaw 950 and Outlaw 755

Robert,
Although I'm fairly new to this forum, my family's thoughts and prayers are with you. You are definately right about all this "stuff" not being that important.
God bless,
Marc

I'm real sorry to hear about your wife's serious health problems. These must be difficult times for your entire family, and my heart goes out to you. Hopefully things will work out for the best. Never give up hope.

[This message has been edited by Will (edited September 26, 2002).]

RAF,
My thoughts are with you and your family at during this difficult time. I will pray that all turns out well.

Robert - I'm so sorry to hear about your wife's illness. The old annoying saying of "at least you have your health" rings so false when you've got it and so true when you don't.

Merc - Aha! One more thing we have in common - banned at HTF. What was your offense? Mine was objecting to threads being deleted that contained anything but praise for the Outlaw 950. I'm guessing that wasn't the problem for you. I noticed as soon as Simon came on board people were getting drop-kicked left and right. I thought Robert was always fair.

One interesting note about the beta-testers though - after the all the rave reviews from the beta testers that many of us were skeptical of (and lost our memberships at HTF because of), it seems strange that neither Merc nor Gene have kept the 950 for their primary system.

Gene has given his 950 to his father, and Merc is actively shopping higher end processors to keep the 950 in a "second system".

I'd be interested to hear if any remaining beta testers are using the 950 as their primary pre/pro?

Gene never intended to keep his -- he beta tested it alongside his Lexicon MC-12, but when he agreed to beta test it was always his plan to pass it along to his father when the test was done.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

HTC: I still have the 950 in my primary system and will continue to do so until I find something better that I can afford. I've already tried out the B&K Ref 30, Rotel 1066, and the Anthem AVM-20, and I still have my 950. The only unit I liked as much/better than the 950 was the Anthem. However, I found that the combination of the 950, Sony P9K and Outlaw ICBM gave me better performance than the Anthem unit for $1000 less.

That said, I am ALWAYS looking for my next upgrade, and will probably upgrade when I find a unit/units that offer better performance at an incredible price. Also, listening/testing/learning about other gear helps me to better appreciate the 950 and improve my ability to judge future units.

Finally, out of deference to RAF, I will not comment on my HTF experience in this thread.

Wow... it is always something of a shock to hear about someone who is in so grave a situation. When death comes, it is always a hardship, but I cannot imagine dealing with a situation where it is such a high near-term possibility.

My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your wife. I know it may not be much comfort, after all, what can be? But in any case I hope it makes you smile to know that you are well thought of.

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net

Im another banned member

anyway-

21/2 years ago i was diagnosed with an
Osteoma of the Sinus and brain..

well after deciding on the Hospital and surgeon(Dr.Kennedy)University of Pennsylvania(cheap plug)all that was left was the Operation and allot of prying......believe me it`s Holly Hell..

After over 10 hours on the table my sinus was patched together using the fat from my stomach and MOST of the Tumor(Osteoma) was removed from my brain

Although my tumor is not a Cancer it`s there none the less and could come back to get me.....well if it does,ill be ready.

We all bicker about our little hobby,but i ask everyone here,when was the last time you looked not at your preamp,speakers and DVD player but your Wife,the Kids your Mom or Dad and gave them a Kiss,how about calling your Sister or Brother and letting them know how important they are in your life...

Those are the things that matter.....Don`t wait till The big guy comes a calling because believe me he can come at any moment..

Although my passion is my theater i now find time to spend with my Wife.we go out on a date once ever 2 months,me and her Dinner,drinks anything she wants to do...

Raf,Pry and be strong for your Lady.

Tommy

[This message has been edited by tommy2811 (edited July 30, 2002).]

[This message has been edited by tommy2811 (edited July 30, 2002).]

RAF,

I'm so sorry to hear about your wife's illness. You and your wife will be in my prayers.

Try to stay strong,

Jeff

RAF;

Thoughts and prayers go to you and your family. Stay Strong.

Jeff

RAF,

My thoughts and prayers are also with you and your wife.

I am sure you are already aware of all of the support that hospice provides other than in house care and I am sure you are availing yourself to that support. The hospice people in my area were "angels walking" when my mother in-law was in a similar circumstance. These people touched our lives in such a way that I will never forget.

God Bless,

Mike Piotti

Yes, Hospice and all it provides has been essential in helping me get through this trying situation. I can't say enough good things about the program.

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RAF

My HT (latest update 04/17/02) Now includes Outlaw 950 and Outlaw 755

Over the past few months, I've learned quite a bit about HT from reading RAF's posts. My family and a friends 9yr. old daughter have been stricken with this tumor. As a complete stranger - he and his family are in my thoughts and prayers.
Best Regards
Steve

RAF,

"Hope healing winds blow your way". -I probably stole that from some Hallmark card I saw somewhere, but the sentiment is sincere.

Merc,

First off... you still didn't answer me on that AVS thread. What up yo?

Anyway...
I think you and RAF were the only beta testers who made more than a couple 950 assessments and highly active forum regulars.
I still say 4 people wasn't a beta test so much as a vaporware refute. Nothing against you testers. Great job.

I know I made some initial posts when I got my 950, but didn't feel the need to keep posting about it.
Since then I check back here mostly just to see if Outlaw's doing anything new I'm interested in.

I'm waiting for a universal prog. DVD/SACD/DVD-A/firewire'B' out.. oh and that upconverts to 1080i (might as well ask for anything 'eh?), and a newer pre/pro w/ balanced outs and obviously a firewire 'B' input.

I've been very happy w/ the 950, but I'm always looking to 'move up', and HT pre/pros by about any company are called compromised by the super audiophile elite.
The passive preamp, outboard hot rod modded DACs by this or that company, etc. crowd, of which I don't think I'll ever get that crazy into audio to become.

I did find the HISS problem (though random) in my 950 which ticked me off, but now that I recently got the awesome Acoustic Reality eARTwo digital amp with it's incredible noise filters I have pretty much no problem w/ the 950's HISS now -but may still send it in if they ever contact me about an actual fix.
I used to think the 950 was a touch bright, but I don't think that anymore. I'm sure it doesn't have the best output stage, but it's still very much worth it's price for sure.

Gonna search around to see if someone out there might mod it for me.

I haven't kept up on Outlaw stopping the 950's shipping (like when it stopped shipping or when it started again -if it even did?), so I'd imagine that if it's not geting into people's homes that'd stop people from saying 'hey I got this cool new super cheap pre/pro', and also stop people who are waiting from bothering to tell others to look into getting this pre/pro on other forums.

I hope this mess hasn't damaged Outlaw, and hope they're soon able to branch out and into the higher end, but I fear that if this 950 has become a mess for them (along w/ the stillborn internet radio system) that they may just stick to their core market for at least the near term.

And w/ the US econ. doing so poorly, I'd think that might keep them from branching out also.

I doubt they'll suprise us w/ a DLP projector -ever (not that I want one).
Or a higher end pre/pro or univ. DVD unit until we see similar models on the market from most of the 'big boys'.

IMO, their 1050's features need updating or price lowered again, and they need something that'll really slap the audio market 'WOW' in the face.
It shoulda been the 950, but that train's broken down too many times to ever regain the kind of buzz it should have.

They've stopped the monthly emails too. That's probably helped kill the Outlaw buzz too.

If they just stick to decent HT amps, one rec., and an actually shipping 950, they'll get lost on the net I think.

Didn't they say in one of the "semi-updates" that they were going to send out another actual monthy update on the 5th (today) or when they started shipping the 950 again, whichever was sooner?

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net

They said that they plan to either put out an update or start shipping again during the week of the 5th -- so some time in the next seven days, we should be able to see one or the other...

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

RAF,

I am saddened by your recent loss.

Will

RAF,
"
Mix