I am home testing these 2 systems and have found that the Outlaw combo sounds harsh/brash when compared to the Rotel(especially at higher volumes). Am I missing something in the Outlaw system setup- and has anyone else noticed this, or have comments about adjusting the overall tone level outputs on the Outlaws? I have tried the treble/bass controls- and that helped, but not completely. Thanks.

Take what I'm about to say with a grain of salt.

Typically, I have heard that Rotel equip is "warm" sounding.

Now, be careful, in that for the very 1st time, with the Outlaw combo, you might be hearing what you're supposed to be hearing: detail. Other words that sometimes go along with "detail" are "forward", and "bright". But if you push that to an extreme, you do get "harsh," "edgy," etc.

The Outlaw combo just might be a bad match with the rest of your system (i.e., speakers, room, sources).

In my case, Acurus amps, Def Tech then Vandersteen mains, and I'd say a moderately balanced room (carpetting and drapes along one wall but bare ceiling and other walls), I found the 950 to be quite neutral and accurate. In fact, I specifically did not find any large differences between the 950, Sony TA-E9000ES and Lexicon MC-8 in terms of pure sound quality and reproduction of the source signals.

Also keep in mind that the Rotel has only global BM settings, the 950 has the triple crossover, and I believe (along with quite a few others) that whenever you switch from a receiver to separates, you will always get a bump in sound quality.

But yes, you have to judge what works best for you in your system.

Before you write off either set of components, you may want to check your speaker positioning. Small differences in placement can make HUGE differences in sound quality.

Jeff