Thanks Gonk, I have a bunch of those cables laying around. I think I will get into my rack system and connect the USB cable, in order to use it soon!

- Good plan. Mine's been sitting there since last year, just in case the need arises.

According to the Outlaw FAQ, the 990 is a semi-clone of the Sherwood P-965. Is the patch delayed because Outlaw is working on something like SNAP? After this much TIME, it seems like a distinct possibility... On the one hand it would be a great selling point. On the other hand, it seems odd that they made current customers wait so long for simple bug fixes while they added in that huge update, instead of separating them. By the way, an internet search shows that the first version of SNAP went off like a lead balloon for some people. For propaganda and specifics, the P-965 had this SNAP firmware update recently (info below is from the Sherwood website):
"Sherwood America has added a new breakthrough feature to its Newcastle line. The feature, Sherwood Newcastle Automatic Parametric EQ or “SNAP” for short, adds 7 bands of parametric EQ to each of the channels, including the subwoofer channel, for its Newcastle R-965 and R-865 receivers and its P-965 tuner/preamp/processor.
An extension of the Automatic Speaker Setup routine that was added to these models late in 2004 as part of Newcastle’s Field Upgrade program, SNAP first measures the frequency response of each of the 7.1 channels using sophisticated 1/12 octave amplitude mapping. According to Jeffrey Hipps, Sherwood's Sr. VP for Marketing and Product Planning, "1/12 octave measurements allow us to concentrate the highest accuracy on the frequency bands that can most benefit from equalization.” For example, there are 24 measurement points in the bass area between 20 and 80 Hz. SNAP then uses up to 7 bands of parametric EQ per channel with both adjustable center frequency and “Q” to improve in-room system response.
“The results”, according to Hipps, “are outstanding. My personal system, with its mix of di-pole and direct radiating speakers has never sounded better. Dialogue intelligibility is improved and surround effects, no matter where they are panned, sound realistic.”
Upgraded ’65 series SNAP models will be available in mid-August. Sherwood believes the benefits of SNAP are so great that it is enacting a program whereby owners of these three Newcastle models, the R-865, R-965 and P-965, can add SNAP to their own units for a nominal charge of only $100.00."

Perhaps, but Outlaw's said several times that they weren't satisfied with the performance of the SNAP implementation being used by Sherwood (that's why they started selling Velodyne's SMS-1) - if they do implement some form of EQ, it'll probably be modified a good bit.

I asked this a few days ago, but didn't get a reply.
Once the new S/W is released, will new 990s ordered come with it installed, or will it have to be done at home?

FAUguy,

Scott already answered your question, before you asked it. If you go up to Scott's information it quite clearly states that in stock units will not have this firmware upgrade installed.

Of course, I surmise that eventually the firmware upgrade will be de facto on new units, the question is just when that would start to occur.

Ah ok. With Final Exams going on, I'm losing my mind.

OK, only two working days left of that 10 working days in which we will see the update. I was really hoping it was going on the early end of 10 days, but I have this feeling it is going to be more than 10 days.

Not bashing the Outlaws, I just want that update with the bass fix. I am also hoping it has some other fixes like being able to configure the setup with only one rear speaker like I believe the 950 would do.

The 19th will be 10 business days, but I don't think people will be upset if it's a bit longer.

We've waited this long, what's another week or so?!?!