The review Star113 gave us the link to is a pretty unique animal: the reviewer actually reports on the performance of the unit on EVERY input. Someone who actually respects the way (some) listeners in the real world use home theater equipment. How often have any of you seen that? You can bet I'm going to bookmark that site.

I also note, not so happily, that the 990's phono performance did not stack up all that well against a $120 NAD. So, Outlaws - how about an improved 990 phono preamp, maybe on a new or replacement card, since the 990 has card-slot architecture? I'd pay $200 for a good one, or maybe more for a REALLY good one. Anybody else?

I also saw in the same review that the 990's AM performance is nothing to be proud of. Well, heck, AM, who cares? would be most people's reaction, probably including mine - unless something comes up that's worth listening to, that is. I think I read somewhere that digital radio makes even AM stereo possible (at least up to a little below 10 KHz), so it may be a little premature to throw it out. But my point is, if the 990 has circuit boards that fit in slots, as a picture shows, and if there's extra space inside it, why not think in terms of future improvements and extra-cost upgrades? Computers do it all the time (desktops, anyway). Lot of possibilities here.

psyprof1 Has a good point. Open ended architecture has been around for awhile in high-end audio, but I don't think we will ever see it used much. It's just not cost effective for the small midfi companies. Just like computers, unless you build your own system it is usually less expensive to replace an aging product than to upgrade it, My experience with Acurus ACT3 upgrade offer taught me a few lessons. First the ACT3 sold for $1899, but the upgrade cost $1000. To Klipsch defense it was a substantial upgrade, Klipsch had aguired Mondial the parent company of Acurus, but my under $2000 processor was now a 3000 dollar unit. I believe the Outlaw 950 was out then and had the same features as the upgraded Acurus for under $1000. From what I can tell not to many Act3 owners took the upgrade path me included. Fixing bugs is one thing but upgrades are another animal from a profit point of view. At some point Outlaw will need to build and sell another pre/pro to rplace the 990. I'm sure they may be able to build ubgrades, but will that provide the revenue and margin the company needs to say viable and profitable? What would be cool if the 990 becomes the next Ipod, just think of all the aftermarket items and upgrades. I hated media players and detested mp3 devices as a diabolical plan to destroy America's love for quality audio. Then the Ipod. Mine is playing on my 990 right now.

On the subject of preamp/processor upgrades...

I upgraded from a Fosgate 3A to a Lexicon DC-1 in 1998. The MSRP on the Lexicon was about 4,500 bucks. A year or so later, I upgraded the Version 2.0 THX/DD firmware to Version 4.0 that also came with a new (DC-2) remote. That was another $300. Another upgrade that I didn't go for was for a DTS card -- it was $500 all by itself!

Upgraded from the Lexicon DC-1 to the Outlaw 990 a couple of months ago. I know that the DC-1 was eight-year-old technology, but the improvement in sound with the 990 was HUGE! Then there are other features like balanced outputs, DTS, a great remote and more.

The point is - the Outlaw 990 is an excellent performer and truly a bargain at its current price. The 990 will assuredly be updated or replaced with a unit that addresses the comments above, but for now we have a most excellent performer in our AV rack that has REALLY added to the enjoyment of our AV hobby. Life is good!

Card-based architectures are a great example of "cool" designs, but historically they've been relegated to high-dollar products and have often been used more as a way to let buyers customize the unit at the time of purchase rather than a way to add features later. There are exceptions of course - Anthem's AVM20 platform and D1 platform have spawned two or three generations of processors, and they have upgrade programs to allow owners to have older units upgraded to include most or all of the newer generations' features; Lexicon's MC-12 has also seen several hardware upgrades, most recently an HDMI upgrade that replaces a bunch of s-video and composite video inputs with HDMI connections - but they again tend to be on more expensive gear and the upgrades themselves tend to have significant price tags attached.

Automatic has a point: based on past products, one could argue that Outlaw's approach to upgrade cycles is not too shabby. I'd describe that cycle as building units that are top "bang for the buck" designs with good reliability - leading to very good resale value for Outlaw units in the used market. Rather than invest engineering resources extending older designs to incorporate new technology, they develop new designs built from the ground up around new technology and keep the prices in that same "bang for the buck" territory. Customers can then sell their previous generation unit if they want to and often end up only spending the equivalent of an "upgrade" to get brand new gear - a 950 owner could get $500 or more on the used market (depending on how old the unit is) for his old processor to help pay for a 990, making the 990 cost ~$600. That's not much different than the DTS card cost for Automatic's DC-1.

The one drawback to this approach is that you don't have the kind of flexibility that psyprof1 is talking about - you can't toss in an extra $100 or so when you order the unit in order to get an improved phono section or beefier tuner.

When you run the 990's auto setup, does it equalize your speakers?

There are many things that I like with the 990 and many that I think are not good. the sound quality is very good. I have some bass issues, since i have not yet done the upgrade, I will not comment about that now. As far as the video, the qaulity really sucks. I have not tried the dvi yet, but if you run compunent video through it or svideo, or composit, it degrads the picture quality. You are better off running a rca out to the tv for the menu and all your video directly to your output devices to the TV.

As for the remote, I have mixed feelings about it. I like the weight, the backlight and the feel of the buttons. its missing a button on the side to lite it in the dark. It need to be better organized. the stero dts and dvd keys shoulk be in the same area.

The other thing that I don't like about it is that its limited in what can be programed. I have a denon 2910 dvd and a directv H20 hd sat receiver and I cannot program either one. Its so depressing that I did not even bother programing my TV.


As for the sound quality, when matched with their 7500 amp, I am so impressed that I do not know how it can sound better. The dts and DD are on par with anything out their. I am sure that If you buy a MUCH more expensive unit, I maybe better, but by how much? When compared to my Yamaha 2500, the 990 makes you feel as if you are in the center of the action. The yamaha makes you feel as if its pushing the sound out of the speakers. As for the center channel, the voices come out cristal clear.

HEY BRAD225

Thanks for the info. I Am going to give them a call, because the site is still under construction.

I have a small room 2200sq ft. all the walls are concret. So the sound is bounceing back and forth.

If they made a 990 without all the video ins and outs, how much less would it cost?

The 990 doesn't include any equalization. It hasn't been ruled out as a possible firmware update, but the solution used by Sherwood's P-965 didn't seem to meet Outlaw's requirements.

Bass issues are common because of the complexity of the bass management - it can take some tinkering to get just the right settings for your setup.

I'm surprised to hear about video quality degradation - I've had excellent luck with the 990's video switching. If you haven't done so already, you might check on your cabling. Long runs, loose connections, or cables near power cords or speaker wires can all have an impact on picture quality.

Billy

I am very happy with the cinema center channel. It has no problem filling the 10' between the sl3's. At this time it is in a large cabinet along with 60' TV and all of the electronics.(It's the spousal trade off until the new house and theater is built.) I can only imagine how good it would sound not hindered by being in a box.
There are some pics of the first 2 bass traps I made in Tips & Tricks forum here in the Saloon on 3/5/06. At that point they were not covered with fabric yet.
Good luck with your concrete walls.