My own two bits: I hadn't really thought much about the appearance before this thread was opened. My equipment is hidden from view in a solid cherry cabinet with solid wookd doors (fan-cooled from the back). A smallish upper section is hinged so the control equipment (DVD and 950) can be accessible for use of remotes. Only use the 950 for HT so light levels are usually pretty low when its visible.

Well, now that I've actually looked at it - personally, I like the design overall, with a couple of caveats.

(1) SURE would have been nice if they simply offered black or silver. ALL of my other equipment is silver / aluminium. Might have been a consideration before I built the current cabinet. If brushed aluminium needed to be an upgrade for a few bucks (which I doubt), I would have paid it.

(2) The power button: on the one hand, I like the fact that its the only control thats a different color, makes it easy to locate. On the other hand, the green that they chose has got to be the ugliest color I have ever seen on a control panel.

But what is more important to me is that it seems to be quite solidly built, and the front panel controls are clear and functional even if they won't win any fancy design awards. Rotel is a nicer-looking unit and probably the result of access to professional industrial-design talent which Outlaw seemingly didn't use. As a rough estimate I would pay a 10% premium, not to exceed $100, for superior aesthetics but would never choose aesthetics over quality.

Thing that I personally dislike the most in HT / stereo equipment design is oodles of knobs and buttons (which I rightly or wrongly, for the consumer as opposed to professional market, tend to equate with lower quality electronics) and the 950 is reasonably clean by that standard.

What I still haven't gotten used to with the 950 is that the volume control has no stops, I HATE it.