Based on the audio hiss and also on measurements made from more than one red dot 950, it's apparently not meeting the published S/N specs.

I'm emailing back and forth with Mike, as Scott is out of town sounds like. We'll see.

3 data points (among others): CBall, Dawg, and myself all have Acurus amplification. All of us have hiss.

So for whatever reason, the 950 doesn't get along with amps that have been AOK with other eqp...

Another datapoint:

I received my 950 about two weeks ago. I have hiss that is audible at the listening position, about 10 or 12 feet away. Same hiss as described elsewhere: starts when input is analog, or when a digital source is played. I am using:

Sherbourn 5/1500A amp
Outlaw PCA cables
Polks all around.

Front speakers are RT3000Ps, which have an effiency of 92 db.

Previously used $300 Kenwood receiver, which did not hiss.

My data point:

Fronts: PSB Stratus Silveri's
Center: PSB Stratus 6Ci
Both sensitivities around 90dB/W/m

Amplifier: Bryston 9B ST

Hiss: Heard from 10'-12' away

Tried different cables, no change.

I talked to Mike myself today. He suggested turning down the gain on my amps or sources, but I have no gain adjustment on any of my components.

I have heard hiss in my system from 10ft too.
I got my unit 2 weeks ago. At first I thought I could over come it but when listening to music it is getting to me.

I have Definitive Techs CLR1000, BP10s , BP2X. I cant hear the hiss in the rears but the center channel is killing me.

Yes I have tested my equipment and I have a decent power center and when I bypass the the Outlaw I have to be really close (inches) close to hear any hiss.

I hope they can fix it, otherwise I will be forced to go back to my AV-550

Thanks

Bigmac, have you posted a review of your 1066 somewhere? As promised, I'm going to pick up a loaner 1066 from the local home theater guy this Saturday, and see how it sounds in my system compared to the Outlaw.

Mike from Outlaw wrote me and asked for how my system is set up, and offered to try to diagnose. So, maybe they aren't throwing in the towel yet.

Data point:
Hiss from 4 feet (surrounds), or 7-8 feet (front). From both digital and analog sources.
PSB Image 6t fronts, 3LR rears, 9C center, SubSonic 2i sub. Sensitivity from 92-93db.
Outlaw 950 and 755, all Outlaw interconnects.

Hey all. I got a very welcome phone call today from the head Outlaw himself, Peter.

A very nice chat. The dude knows what he's doing! A very nice guy too.

Anyway, hopefully I'm not letting a cat out of the bag, but:

OUTLAW IS CONTINUING TO WORK ON THE HISS PROBLEM.

He said that 98-99% of the people with the [red dot] and new units didn't have our problem.

Sounds like sensitive speakers and certain amplification creates/worsens the problem.

No, no time line. But I now feel confident that we aren't being "hung out to dry" and that they know that it's real, and that they will try hard to find a solution for us.

Made my day, really. Like talking to a "rock star" or a famous (in a good way) politician or something...


[This message has been edited by Kevin C Brown (edited October 02, 2002).]

It seems many of the 1% to 2% that hear hiss are posting here.

I have repeatedly invited the Outlaws to come over and hear it here, since they are local (they ship the red dot 950's from Los Angeles) and hear the hiss here for themselves. I've cycled a bunch of 950's in my system, and while some of the 950's hissed more than others, I have yet to get one that does not hiss audibly in my system, at many feet out. The 950 replaced an old Sony that didn't hiss hardly at all.

Did Peter mention anything about the accuracy of the published S/N specs?


[This message has been edited by Will (edited October 02, 2002).]

Will- I didn't press on that. I was just happy that they will continue to look for a solution to the problem.

(I was really getting tired of people posting that they *didn't* have the problem and inferring that there was something wrong with our systems.)

And actually, maybe in most systems it *would* meet the published specs, I don't know.


I am now beginning to believe that those of us that are experiencing hiss with the current crop of units really do have "higher resolution" systems than most people. (Note the smiley face...)

Soundhound measured the S/N on his 950. It missed the published S/N specs. He measured the S/N on mine. It also missed the published S/N specs. I'll defer to him on the details.

Maybe far more than 2% of the 950's miss the published specs. Maybe most miss the published specs. And maybe systems that can't detect the small noise in the S/N don't know about the problem. (Note there's a smiley face) (there.)

I think that, of all the 950's that have cycled though my system, not one met the published specs, based on the audible hiss I heard from every one of them.

[This message has been edited by Will (edited October 02, 2002).]