Definite improvements

Yes, I proved it to myself…it makes me curious. If I had time to purchase and return jillions of interconnect/wire demos, - different brands, - different good/better/best levels. Would I keep seeing a difference between ALL of them??? I’m sure over the years I’ll end up trying a few whenever opportunity arises. Nice to know someone else had good luck with the brand I’m running currently!

I just found something I'm not happy about with my 950. (This is the right thread, isn't it?)

My wife has been sick the last couple of days so I've been working at home to take care of the kids. I'm not sure I accompliahed either task. My kids both nap in the afternoon (My kindergartener hasn't figured out that he really doesn't need to nap anymore, at least until he gets to college.). My wife has also been sacking out. So I sit and work while they sleep and I put some music on.

I'll go back to the office tomorrow because my wife seems like she'll be better. So my problem is that the 950 will be home and I'll be at my office with the phone, the whine of the computer, the screaming of the air handling system, and the creak of the bathroom door opening and closing.

The 950 (and the rest of my system) didn't need to educate me on how poor the sonic landscape at work actually is. So, to answer the original question of this thread, I'm unhappy.

Wow Dollar Bill, that is a serious problem you got there. I hope this isn't a widespread problem because that would suck if Outlaw had to stop production again. I hate to admit it, but I just checked mine and I have the same problem. Hopefully this is covered under the warranty.

Well I took delivery of my 950/770 combo just yesterday (my first foray into the world of separates), fully hooked up, tweaked and calibrated (well, we much as you can do in just one day).

Right away I could hear hiss (running Klipsch RF3s (mains), RC3II (Front Center), RS3s (L/R Surrounds), RC3, (Rear Center)) and an audible 'hum'.

I hooked the 950 to the 770 with plain old audio connects, the kind you get free with new gear (low end gear only it seems), anyway, I could hear the hum from the 'left side' only, I then swapped out those cables for other 'generic' cables, problem solved, hum was gone, hiss reduced.

Speakers set to small about 8ft from the sweet spot, I can hear hiss, it's not HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS like you would get if you cranked up the 950 with no signal but audible nonetheless. Moreover, I can hear hiss emanating predominantly from my side surrounds (I’ve read this elsewhere as well).

Today I received some interconnects from Bettercables (thanks Brad!) so I will not be using the generic ones, so I would imagine that given the drastic change in swapping out the generic ones for more generic one I should have better results with the new interconnects. Then again, maybe not.

The soundstage is much fuller, smoother is the best way to describe it, the SVS has much more oompf now (even set to the exact settings (-5) I used on the 1050) and the (re) addition of my rear channel in titles like ATOC and LOTR:EE sounds great and it can definitely go LOUDER

I’m going to do a tad more tweaking this weekend and watch a few films that I know that have ‘quiet’ scenes prior to ‘loud’ scenes to see if it’s bothersome.


[This message has been edited by Xen (edited November 22, 2002).]

Haven't visited the Saloon for a while so I'm surprised that there is still a hiss issue.
I do like the Outlaw cables with one exception. The cover on the cables stick to each other like velcro. They won't move smoothly over and across one another. It makes it difficult to arrange(jam) them behind equipment in an entertainment center.
BTW- I haven't been able to come up with hiss or any noise out of my Rotel 1060. Maybe I'm lucky in the grounding area.

The cover on the cables stick to each other like velcro. They won't move smoothly over and across one another.

I’ve done rather more interconnect swaps than I would like to for various reasons in the last months. The thought has never popped into my head that these cables don’t slide well enough over each other. I have been very pleased with the quality and sound of the Outlaw cables. In fact; its time after Christmas bedlam for me to order some more.
I purchased a basic set between the amp and pre and some optical. I wanted to wait till I had ‘tried’ the Outlaws cables in person and till we got our AV cabinet stand worked out (at the time dimensions and distances unknown) to know what run lengths I would require if I desired to replace my whole hodgepodge collection. The bloodycabinet is now in…as of Thanksgiving so its time to consider all my cables between the DVD etc. as soon as I have time for a shopping list.

Very glad you are happy with your rotel.
The topic question: Happy with the 950? A resounding Yes, here.

Hmmm,... 1060 .... must be the one without the bullets

Hopefully no one's trying to draw the conclusion that on different system's, that the 1066 is quieter than the 950. I still have yet to hear of a direct comparison in the same exact system.

The 950 only exhibits its hiss with specific combinations of either speakers or amps.

Also remember that the very 1st rev of the 1066 also had a hiss problem. (Internal ground problem or something.) And, the 1066 has the double bass problem on the 5.1 analog inputs that you cannot get around (unless you use an ICBM with it).

BTW, rumors of a new RSP-1098 available sometime early next year...

You should be able to look through the archives and see several direct comparisons in the same system. I think I even posted noise level measurements in my review between the two.


brianca..

Lena - Maybe you are just better organized back there than I am. When they are in close quarters they don't move over/across each other easily. I really noticed a better sound with them. I've even thought about coating them with Baby powder so they aren't so sticky.