I'm on the cusp of buying a new pre/pro to replace my aging B&K Ref 31 with.

The Outlaw 990 looks like the ticket. Or the Sherwood P-965. Ugh. Can't decide.

Outlaw:
Unique menuing system
DVI Switching
Balanced outputs
Assignable crossovers per channel
5 Year Warranty

Sherwood:
Unique menuing system
SNAP Room EQ
Potentially nicer looks (subjective of course)

Is there anything major that I missed? Anything that is fundamentally different in the hardware that might make the Outlaw 990 sound quality better? Or are these units the exact same underlying hardware?

I've never had to get any repairs done on any of my equipment under warranty so I wouldn't count the warranty as my pivot point.

My pivot point might be Room Equalization. I am intrigued by the SNAP EQ on the Sherwood and have read that Outlaw is considering room EQ - any update on this? Supposedly, Sherwood is considering Audyssey MultiEQ as an additional Room EQ for an extra price, but that info hasn't been updated or confirmed in a long while. Is Sherwood going to have a head start because they've implemented already and are going to be bug fixing when Outlaw comes out with version 1.0 of Room EQ?

I'm really excited to get either one of these units and do an A/B with wife, friends, etc. What can you tell me to make this decision easier...

(My Setup)
B&K Ref 31
Sherbourn 5/1500A Amp
Axiom M80ti, VP150, RS8
Dual SVS 20-39 PCi
Denon 2200
Oppo Digital 971
Roku Soundbridge
Behringer DEQ2496 for Sub EQ

Oh....also, my run from amp to pre is less than 2 feet - so I'm not really concerned about balanced outputs. Especially since I don't believe that the 990 is balanced all the way through - that's usually an expensive option.

Also, I haven't ever explored separate crossovers for each channel as the Ref 31 doesn't allow me to do that anyway. Not sure if it would make a difference in my system. It's been at 80Hz for several years and the DEQ2496 is balancing the subs....

Because the 990 is based on the P-965 platform, there should be very little difference sonically (aside from possible benefits of having more control over your bass management, which with those big M80ti's might be a fun thing to experiment with a bit). I personally think the 990's menus are easier to navigate. Sherwood does include the auto-EQ, and Outlaw has considered it but reportedly were disappointed in the solution. In light of the recent arrival of the Velodyne SMS-1 in Outlaw's online store, I suspect that Outlaw's either written off the Cirrus auto-EQ or are holding out for significant improvements (which may not be possible with the existing hardware). Audyssey would be a better solution, but if Sherwood did it with an on-board fix it is very likely that the fix could be carried over to the 990 platform. On the other hand. the cost of doing Audyssey after the fact would potentially come close to the price of an SMS-1, which is Outlaw's current recommendation for EQ (and a very effective solution, at that). Since you already have an Oppo, you are potentially in a position to need the DVI switching in the near future - an HD cable/satellite receiver, PS3, or HD disc player (Blu-ray or HD-DVD) could tempt you toward having a second DVI/HDMI source.

The Sherwood has been very well received ever since it was introduced, but in my opinion the 990 offers some additional features that are hard to argue with.

I believe the Sherwood already has a MX-500 remote. I might be wrong on that, but I thought I remember seeing that.

Although you mentioned the warranty is not a pivot point keep in mind a transferable warranty is a big selling point. In a few years from now when you want another new set up that could be a factor.Also if someone has a perfect room EQ in a prepro that would be great but the ones I've heard were less than perfect by a good margin.

Just a few other things to through in the mix,good luck.

Has the 990 been upgraded in any way - from an internal parts perspective - vs the Sherwood? The 970 says it has "Performance Matched Op Amps in the Critical Path" but I see no mention of that in the 990.

Did Outlaw take the standard reference design from Sherwood or improve on it internally besides what is listed in the FAQ?

(I am not the same Andrew S that just bought a 990...)

Did you ever make a decision? I'm in the same position as you and am also tying to decide between the two, but am leaning toward the Sherwood.

I would buy the 990 in a heartbeat if it included the SANP EQ. This is a biggie for me. Also, I like the looks of the SW and it has a better remote. Outlaw, why does your products have to be so plain?

As you pointed out the 990 has better bass management. I think Sherwood really fell on their sword here. They included a really antique bass management system. Also, Outlaw is known for their exceptional customer support (this is also a biggie to me and not to be under estimated)and they have a much better warranty.

I can get both units for the same price, so it boils down to better looks, remote and SNAP EQ over balanced outputs, improved bass management, better warranty.

Just wish I had a local SW dealer. Closest one is almot 200 miles, so I'll have to order via the internet if it's the one I choose.

BTW, I noticed you have 2 SVS 20-39PCi's. I have one of these myslef, but have considered getting a second. Do you have them placed next to one another, or in different locations? Any problems with bass cancellation?

Jack:
Yep. I got the 990. I decided the balanced inputs would match perfectly with my amp. Didn't read anything really good about SNAP so I decided it wasn't my deciding factor.

Read my earlier thread "Interesting Sub Setup Dilemma" though. The way the Outlaw works (and the Sherwood to probably for that matter) is that some of the modes (Upsample, Stereo, etc.) cannot have sub levels controlled by the bass management. All you can do is reduce the Upsample, Stereo, etc modes by reducing the 2Ch Offset. I describe fully what I found.

So how I had to set up my subs was to adjust the volume control on the SVS amp until my channel calibration level for the subs was at 0 on the outlaw and the SPL was what I wanted for the subs.

I'm still happy with the sound though. Center/surround channel is much better so far than my B&K Ref31. I always had dialogue muddiness with the B&K for some reason.

Glad to hear you like the 990. I've also read many bad things about SNAP EQ, but I've also read some really good things. Seems to depend on who the user is. But, the way I see it, if it doesn't work I don't have to use it. Like I said, I can get the 965 for the same price as the 990, actually cheaper, it's $1099 with shipping included. Also, I figure if there are some bugs they will likely get them worked out and there will be a fix.

Bass management seems to be a topic of hot discussion for just about every pre-processor on the market. It's probably going to become like all the various surround modes. Eventually you will be able to buy a processor that performs bass managment in a kazillion differnt ways.

But, more important to me than bass managment is the ability to eq the bass frequency's. This is rapidly becoming a very important issue as everyone seems to use a sub these days.

I've got a short list consisting of the Outlaw 990, Sherwood 965, Arcam AVP-700, and Rotel P-965. The more I read, the less certian I am. Sheesh.

BTW, the Rotel actually has bass eq for each channel. It's @ fixed 100Hz, but better than nothing at all.

In the mean time I'll continue my research.

Any of you fellow Outlawer's have experience with these processors please fell free to jump in. The more opinions I get the better.

Jack:

Just get bass management that lets you set the crossover. If you want to equalize your subs - get an external equalizer. The BFD (Behringer Feedback Destroyer) gets great reviews. I have a Behringer DEQ 2496 which costs a bit more but is much easier to set and has some other features (like a great SPL meter) that I've found useful.

I wouldn't rely on SNAP or any other Auto-eq out now to actually equalize your SVS's.

BFD, DEQ 2496, Velodyne SMS-1 are all units that can be used to accurately fine tune your subs WAY better than almost any built in equalization except for some high-priced Meridan systems.