I thought this article might be of general interest to Outlaw enthusiasts and therefore I wanted to post it in the hopes of bringing to light this inportant and often overlooked issue.

“Outlawoniomania” is a quasi-medical term (a combination of the word “onios,” from the Greek = "for sale," mania = insanity) and “Outlaw(s),” who are a group of audio/video product designers, engineers, and marketers who have been in the consumer electronics industry for a long time. The original medical term “oniomania” was coined by German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin, for the compulsive desire to shop, more commonly referred to as shopping addiction or shopaholism. Outlawoniomania is not recognized as a disorder by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) manual DSM-IV; however, that may change as more is learned about the brain chemistry of compulsive behavior and how Gonk’s wife has been able to prevent him from emptying their checking account for new gear. Kraepplin, along with Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, first identified the symptoms associated with oniomania during the late nineteenth century. Oniomania has received increased media attention despite the fact that it does not meet the criteria under the DSM-IV. Outlawoniomania was first identified by Gonk & Durand (2008) while waiting for Outlaw Audio to release for sale its new pre-pro with HDMI inputs and the new HD audio codec decoding ability.

Psychiatrists often call oniomania a disorder, but it has only been accepted as a disorder by the Deutsche Gesellschaft Zwangserkrankungen (German organization for obsessive-compulsive disorders), for several years. Oniomania is still being studied by psychologists throughout the world, and, in fact, the APA is in the process of possibly including it in the DSM-IV.

Wives always call Outlawoniomania a disorder. Outlawoniomania is not being studied by psychologists throughout the world, but significant others have been trying for decades to understand it and to find a cure for its sudden outbreak (“Couldn’t we buy food instead?” - “Did I fire six shots or only five? In all this excitement, I kinda lost track myself.”).

Similar to other compulsive behaviors, sufferers often experience the highs and lows associated with high-end audio addiction. Victims often experience moods of satisfaction when they are in the process of purchasing and listening to movie soundtracks encoded with DTS-HD MA audio, which seems to give their life meaning while letting them forget about their sorrows. Once leaving the environment where the purchasing occurred, the feeling of a personal reward has already gone, unless listening to their Outlaw amps at mid to high volume.

The addicted person gets into a vicious circle that consists of negative emotions like anger and stress, which lead to looking to purchasing something from Outlaw Audio. After the buying search is over, the person is either regretful or depressed when he learns that the product he continually hopes will be released has been delayed. In order to cope with the feelings, the addicted person resorts to another purchase, such as a receiver with the ability to decode the newest codecs included to use as a pre-pro while he waits for the anticipated release of the new Outlaw pre-pro.

What differentiates Outlawoniomania from oniomania is the compulsive, destructive nature of the buying associated with oniomania. Outlawoniomania is considered by all but those with a keen sense of what is the best bang for the buck as compulsive and destructive, but once the equipment is secured, the Outlawoniomaniac could really care less as he is too busy enjoying clear, crisp, distortion-free and robust audio.

The consequences of Outlawoniomania, which may persist long after a purchase, can be devastating. They may include crushing consumer debt from purchasing new Blu-ray DVDs to try out on the system, theft or defalcation of money to pay for food and drinks for friends who constantly drop over to hear the system and similar troubles.

Research into this important and developing area of medicine and consumer audio is an ongoing process.

Mike

This clearly disturbing trend warrants additional research, I think...

950
990
M200
SMS-1
Cables

I need help Doc!

sign me up .... i just dont know if i have it mildly or pushed over the top.....

Oh-oh. 997 on the horizon! Outbreak coming on.