Well I was at the show. To make a long story short, the 990 is an $1100 processor, nothing more nothing less. It's not the miracle processor I hoped it would be. It sounded good mind you. Perhpas it was teh AT 8200 speaker system.. but the dialogue was flat, and upper frequencies were dull, however, I will say the bass response was very good (LMF1 subs sounded fantastic). The processing is all there, panning from speaker to speaker etc it's all there. The 990 just doesn't have the high end smooth and clairty sound of say an anthem D1, or Meridian/Lex products. I know I know, these products are no where near it's price range. I guess as someone noted you get what you pay for. I have to demo again with different speakers I'm familiar with. But, it was obvious, it doesn't have the high end sound I really want. As they say in the amplifier world, after the power transistors, the amp is voiced that is where you seperate cheaper and high end products. I guess I may just have to go on the used marked for AVM 20/30 or B&K 50 even. Darn.. I was really hoping this would be the $3000 processor for $1000.. folks trust me it isn't. The cabinet is huge...

I've noticed several posts from you on different forums today with this same report. I am sorry to hear that you were disappointed, but I think you raise a couple of potentially valuable points that we should all stop and recognize. For one thing, the adage "you get what you pay for" holds true to a great degree in all aspects of life. Outlaw offers great equipment for the price - based on other products they've produced, I would expect the 990 to at least represent a very pleasing combination of sound and features for the price. Anyone expecting any $1100 SSP to walk, talk, and somehow "put to shame" products costing several times more are running the risk of serious disappointment. Also, personal tastes differ, sometimes greatly. Some people are very fond of the "Canadian" sound of speakers like Paradigm or Axiom (to name a couple), while others prefer British speakers like B&W or KEF, and still others prefer Klipsch or Polk or Boston Acoustics. The cool part is that nobody's necessarily wrong. If, for example, the Atlantic Tech speakers weren't to someone's liking, the Paradigm setup could have been a preferred demo system last weekend.

We're still dealing with too small a sampling of reports to know just what the 990's capable of, in my opinion. I've seen reports from a number of sources who felt that the 990/770/LFM-1/Atlantic Tech system was the home theater highlight of last weekend's show, which certainly very bodes well for the 990 (especially considering some of the other hardware on display). There are also countless reviews and user comments about the P-965 (the foundation for the 990) that are highly complimentary. It may very well be that the 990 isn't the sonic equal of an Anthem D1 (which is at least reassuring for the much more expensive D1), but the real test will be to put the 990 into people's home systems and see how they feel about it. Even then, the 990 will experience the same thing that every other product on the market experiences. For some people, it will not be enough to take the place of a more expensive unit because the imcremental differences (and we tend to get down to small differences as the price rises) are worth the extra money to them. For others, that same incremental difference will not be enough to warrant spending twice (or more) the money. Three years ago, I felt that many vocal opponents of the 950 were just plain mad that they couldn't get "something for nothing" - that $900 at Outlaw wouldn't buy a $2500 or $4000 product available elsewhere. The fact that it would buy something that offered a great deal of enjoyment for the price got lost along the way, which I think was a shame.

That was a very polite and classy response Gonk. Good post.

Right. Mendes, I would give it another chance. I wouldn't condemn Outlaw on one scene in a terrible movie not even the star's mother would see. I am going to watch a few movies tomorrow and see what happens. I won't hold punches.

Yes, the cabinet is huge. Yes, the upper frequencies could be improved but at HES, Outlaw distinguished itself from the pack even with a somewhat dissapointing speaker system and a price point that second to none The set up was driven by an Outlaw amp. A Bryston, Krell or Moon amp might have made that $1000 processor sound like $3000.

Thanks gentleman, and you guys here are truely gentleman....

Please, don't get the impression that I'm an outlaw basher. I want the product to suceed, as Outlaw is only 1 of 2 companies out there that gives us a Pre-proc at middle class prices. I'm hoping that indeed it was the AT 8200 speaker system that wasn't to my taste. I need to demo with different speakers. I wish I could have taken the Paradigm Signature S8's a few doors down and connected them to the 990..

Here is what I can say.. as stated, the processing is all there.. the first 2 demo's they gave were very very good. Also, as with the 950 I didn't notice any delay in locking in on the signal, it was quick. In terms of Dolby Digital processing, the speaker panning, echoing, and enveloping sound as stated is all there my friends. In that respect it appears to compete with the big boys, and I've listened to all of them (anthem, lex, Meridian)As has also been stated by the Sherwood folks.

But also as I said, at least wih the AT 8200 speaker system, which is the 1st time I heard them, so I have no basis of comparison ( which is a key point), the refined mid's and highs of the high end products, I did not hear at least out of the AT 8200 speaker system. Speakers, make a huge difference so I'm hoping that is it.

Case in point, I also demo'd the Totem speakers, that sound very impressive. Everyone in the room, seems to be wow'd by the totem speaker demo. While they sounded fantastic, you have to realize they had a $3K Ayre Acoustics CD player, and $3k integrated amplifier. I asked the owner, who is also demoing them, why don't you play those speakers with a $200 DVD player that most of us will use at home and $1000 amplifer? Because, it won't sound the same not even close. I remember when I purchased my B&W speakers, and setting them up at home they sounded no where near as good on my rotel equipment as they did at the dealer with his Krell amp, and Meridian CD player. I mean, night and day difference. SO I told him, "I think you demo is misleading, because you are demoing a pair of $1500 speakers that sound fantasic here, but 95% of people who buy your speakers will dissapointed at home because they won't use a $3,000 cd player as you are using here, which makes a world of difference, why don't you use a $200 DVD player like most of us?" His response was that it won't sound to much different. Yeah sure...

It sounds like you tend to prefer the sound of Paradigm's speakers, mendes9, which is something that I can relate to (I'm running Studio/60v2's, CCv2, and a mix of Studio/ADPv2 and Axiom M3ti for surrounds). I'm on the list for a 990 and will be replacing a 950, which it sounds like you've had some experience with. I'll be posting my findings once I get a 990 and spend some time with it, and perhaps those findings will be of some value to you.

Let me get this straight: you're making the above claim based on having heard the 990 and those other processors at different times, in different systems, with different speakers, playing different material, under different conditions, connected to different sources, etc? But despite all that, a short demo is all you needed to pinpoint the 990's sound as lacking in high end smoothness and clarity compared to those other processors? That's some discerning ear you have there, not to mention your auditory memory. Why would anyone get that impression?

Just because you went to AVS Forum and posted "the dialogue especially was not crisp, it even sounded harsh" and that the Outlaw demo made your "ears bleed". Or when you read at the AV123 Forum that Thomas J. Norton gave high praise to the Outlaw demo, and you replied "Tom Norton must be on crack, or well paid by outlaw. The best at the show..??? I think he wrote that up after 1 too many beers."

Gonk is correct: you've spent the last two days running around various forums posting the same report. "Outlaw basher"? I won't resort to name-calling, but you certainly are on a mission.

WOW Sanjay, amazing how you can take a few comments and complete mislead people with what I said. An example, below you quoted.

"Just because you went to AVS Forum and posted "the dialogue especially was not crisp, it even sounded harsh" and that the Outlaw demo made your "ears bleed"

Let me correct you.

It makes is sound like I said, the sound was so harsh that it made my ears bleed. Which is totally FALSE. What I said was, that the demo of the flight of the Phoenix demo was so loud that it made my ears bleed, DUE TO THE VOLUME, not because it was harsh.

"That's some discerning ear you have there, not to mention your auditory memory."

Yep, absolutely without a dought. If you want to come over and test me, PM Me.

Do you have an axe to grind with me or something? My opinion is just that an opinion, I invite anyone to form there own opinion, but don't dis-credit mine.

mendes, gonk,

Thank you both for your input on this thread. It is a real service that we can see different viewpoint/opinions about products that we may all have questions. I was wondering about the build quality of the 990. Is it equal or better than the 950? Display? Did you get a chance to see the menu?

Cedric