I spent more time comparing the DA5ES and 950, this weekend.

The difference that I can hear is in the bass. The 950 has punchier bass than the DA5ES. When listening to some music (Eagles DVD) it was subtle, only manifesting in the notes from the bass guitar. In scenes like the lobby shootout in the Matrix it made the difference between the soundtrack getting lost in the noise (DA5ES) and a good strong bass beat pacing the action.

Of course, now I need to check to see if it was a calibration issue. Phase 2 will be seeing if I can tweak the Sony to fill out the sound in that area.

Both were good for sound localization.

If I had to buy one or the other, I'd be going with the Outlaw. However, the question I'm facing is whether the upgrade is worth it. $899 - (resale value of DA5ES) + (use two channel amp if I want to go 7.1) = worth it? I'll be agonizing over this while I work on the Sony tweaks.

The time to acquire the digital signal is an annoyance, too, though not a deal-breaker. Since I use my DirecTivo a fair amount, it really screws with my timing when FF though commercials. I have to allow for a few extra seconds for sound to come back before the commercial ends.

--Mike