Okay, I am creating a thread off of a post that is 22 days old, but I tend to be behind the curve in most aspects of my life. I am just moving into HT from 2 channel sound. While on the waiting list for the 950, I bought (used, separately) a Rotel 985 amp and Rotel 976 pre/pro. I am now nearing the end of my 30 day trial for the 950. You did not state what Rotel pre/pro you were replacing, but I think my listening experience differs from yours.

In my opinion, if one is not listening for detail, the Outlaw sounds better. It creates a larger sound stage and seems to offer better representation over the full frequency range. In particular, I would say the base sounds better on the Outlaw. I think this explains why the Outlaw, in my opinion (plus the opinions of my wife and 3 friends I had over to listen), is clearly superior at reproducing vocals. Compared to the 950, the 796 shounds a shade flat.

The Rotel, on the other hand, offers better detail. Acoustic instruments are better reproduced by the Rotel. Not only are the instruments being played in my presence, but my couch becomes a seat in the sound studio (jazz) or the concert hall (classical). The Outlaw presents the instruments, but not the environment. (Here, again, my wife drew the same conclusion.)

Both processors are new to me, so I do not have the benefit of familiarity with either. Both sound far better than my NAD 7140 (from 1985?) they are replacing. The lack of a clear winner has made deciding between the two difficult. I also do not have the benefit of the full surround sound set up, as I am still working to complete the system. (I only have my NEAR 50Me as the fronts. The center channel speaker arrived earlier this week, but I have not had the chance to set it up.)