Well, my 990 shat the bed last night. It worked fine all day yesterday and last night. I went to turn it on this morning and...nothing. The standby light was on, but it wouldn't power up. I did the troubleshooting thing and called Outlaw at 9:00AM on the dot. Now I realize things fail, that's a part of this electronics world we live in, and I can accept that. However, I'm a bit bummed that it may take 3-4 weeks to get my unit back. Am I not supposed to watch tv or movies or listen to music for a whole month? That's a tad absurd. So ultimately, I went and bought a Marantx SR-7001. Now, I don't expect the Marantz to hold up too well against the 990, but I have to say, I'm really liking the feature set, especially the dual component outs and the HDMI in/out. It really makes my video switching simple. Jury is still out on the Audessy EQ. I'm running the software right now, and we'll see how that goes. I'll try to watch a movie or two tonight and see how the surround reproduction is compared to the 990.

Now, I have to say that I am a little disappointed in the fact that Outlaw doesn't provide either a loaner or replacement/exchange unit. I would have much rather paid for an "exchange" up front which could be credited once warranty was verified, or billed if warranty is voided for some reason. I don't typically complain about stuff like this, but 3-4 weeks is a crazy amount of time to be without a central processing hub in my HT...especially since my tv is a plasma monitor and my projector didn't come with speakers. My point is, not only would I be without surround...I'd be without audio period. If my TV had speakers the lead time would have been a much easier pill to swallow. I'm sure I'm not the only person in this situation either, so those of you with similar set ups...fair warning, you may want to buy a back up processor/receiver. Ultimately, I think I'll return the 7001, but I'll probably buy something a little less robust in case of emergencies.

I wonder how much "factor of safety" padding there is in that three to four week estimate? If you were sending it to Outlaw's HQ, it would be a short trip (you are in-state) - whereas ground shipping from the east coast to out west could add a week each way. Anybody else who has had to return a 990 or other processor or receiver to Outlaw for service have some first-hand experience on how long it took?

I sent my 2150 in and received the standard 4 week estimate and the unit was back in my hands in less than three weeks, including ground shipping both ways to and from San Francisco. Service in Mass. should be somewhat faster.

Having said that, I can understand Bri1270's desire for at least the option of a loaner or advance replacement, especially when the unit in question is under warranty.

In my experience, options like this are often offered via an up-charge to the customer. You have the option of standard warranty service at no cost (other than shipping) but can choose to pay a bit extra for an advance replacement.

After sleeping on it, I don't feel so badly about the whole situation. Hopefully, since I am so close the facility, it will only take a week or two. The more I play with this Marantz the more frustrated I become. It sounds pretty good, there are some features that I really like, but it's simply not intuitive, and I am going to have to read the manual...I'm not a big fan of reading manuals, and this one seems extra lousy. I wonder if the tech writers even used the unit...

Marantz manuals are notorious for being lousy.. that's been my experience..

the 990 replaced my old Marantz SR5000 that i had been using for about 6 years. I kept it and use it in one of the spare bedrooms.. not all the time. but on ocassion for 2 ch listening.

Reason I kept it.. was so that should the 990 ever give up the ghost and need to go in for service. i could always pull out the Marantz and use it temp.

Disappointing for sure to have a bad unit, but from all accounts I see reported the Outlaws do a fairly good job of taking care of customers.
Seems to me that part of the value for everyone in Outlaw equipment is dealing with service when required as agreed to and stated in the original warranty's terms when purchased. Or you simply eat return shipping for a return for refund.

Considering the options, Perhaps the Outlaws could start offering - up selling the good old "extended warranties" that guarantee a replacement on defective units less than x number of days old . . . repeated lemon replacement clauses . . . The usual empty promises - or they could just raise all their prices to cover loaners, exchanges and shipping.
So I wonder, what would a comparably featured HT processor unit with a 5 year wty cost if bought through a brick and mortar shop ? What if the B&M's unit goes belly up after a few days or weeks, You might be able to return it for a full refund - and perhaps you might have to pay a 10 - 15 % restocking fee - then buy a new one or go shopping all over again. Was it a waste of your money and time - was it really "worth" it ? Or the only option might be a wty repair depending on the individual store's return policies. ( return options window is typically around 14 - 30 days ) If you are past return window you are most likely still going to have to wait on repairs and It seems like 3 - 4 weeks is a fairly average time frame - perhaps even good. Not to mention you might have to ship it in for repairs yourself. ( experiences in retail sales ) Now if you shopped high end and paid 2 to 4 times the cost for a comparable / or / "better" processor they might give you a "loaner" while you wait on wty service. Are you truly getting a value equal to a cost of 2 / or / 4 times through improvement in sound quality - operational features or even a 2 or 4 times improved guarantee of better repair services. Maybe at best. Just my thoughts.

I didn't say they should "give" me a loaner. What I said is that an exchange program would be nice. I don't think I complained about the service for cost, I was disappointed in the fact that I would be without a unit for 3-4 weeks. I know that Outlaw takes care of their customers, that was a huge factor in my decision to purchase a 990. Put yourself in my shoes. Your unit fails and you're told you'll be without it for 3-4 weeks. That's 3-4 weeks with no audio system whatsoever. I'm not sure about you, but I enjoy watching TV and movies at night, or listening to music while I do stuff around the house on weekends. I like having family movie nights on Fridays. Why is it unreasonable to be bummed out about that? I also said that after sleeping on it, I was okay with the whole thing. Now I know that I'll need to buy a back up processor/receiver just in case I have any further issues. I have to be honest though, I don't think it will be a Marantz. I don't really care for the 7001. Maybe an inexpensive Denon or Pioneer.

Never a bad idea to have a backup. I have an old Denon (circa 1999), and it works fine in a pinch. No zone 2, but that's OK for a short time period. You could pick something like that up on eBay or AudiogoN for <<$200, I'm thinking... It sits in the basement 99% of the time.

That's exactly what I'll do, pick up something inexpensive for these "ina pinch" times.

Shipped the 990 today. Hopefully I'll have it back soon. The longer I'm without it, the more I miss it.