First a short story.

On other forums there is plenty of recent talk / excitement about Oppo's possible BD player. Photos from a show combined with speculation got a real buzz going.

And a digression.

I've said many times that my three next planned purchases, in order of importance are Outlaw's next gen pre/pro, a 1080p projector, and a BD player (with SACD/DVD-A capability.)

The Oppo buzz was right in line with the third on my list. So I sent them an email asking about some very specific features etc. and guess what? They immediately replied and answered all of those questions. No waffling. Just straight answers. I now have a really good idea what to expect - and when (within a three month window.) I can plan on that.

Oppo is to DVD (and soon BD) as Outlaw is to pre/pros - at least in my books.

Here's a chance for Outlaw to prove me right: what features are you hoping to incorporate into your 990 replacement? When do you hope it will it be ready for sale?

I've left lots of wiggle room by using "hope".

Thanks.

Since the OPPO BD is not a 'replacement' for any of their current DVD players, it will not affect the sales of those much.

Whereas, giving you information about the 'new' Outlaw pre/pro can directly affect the sales of their current product line, due to the buyers will be waiting for the next product.

So, I personally don't think you're going to get a reply about it.

Given the age of the 990 (and 970), are the anticipated processors/recievers replacements as opposed to new products altogether? It would seem that these products have outlived thier intended lifespan but new products were not available due to a delay from Cirrus Logic. Many competitors have released details of thier up coming products including S.N. S.N. has indicated a different room correction device than Audessy. Integra has released details. Denon released their details months ago about the 09 series. These outfits have even released product brochures.

When looking at what SN is intending on releasing and comparing it to the 990/970, these are completely different products in terms of connectivity, user interface, decoding etc. It wouuld seem that by not releasing details, the customer base may be decreasing.

I'm of two minds on this subject.

On the one hand, I was here when Outlaw talked in great detail about the Model 950 and got hammered due to delays as a result - because of that, I can relate to the desire to be tight-lipped until the product is about to start moving down an assembly line and the only potential snags are in transit. From that standpoint, I don't expect to hear anything from Outlaw on a 990 successor until it is as close at hand as the 990 was when it was unveiled (which in that case meant on a freighter a few days out of Korea). I'm even relatively comfortable with the idea that it will pop up out of thin air at some point with no prior warning.

On the other hand, I'd really enjoy seeing some sort of announcement. I'm not sure I'd want to hear much about release date (down that road lies much gnashing of teeth when dates are missed, as Outlaw and a number of other companies has learned the hard way) but it's hard to argue against the fun of dissecting feature sets and hardware pictures while you wait for a product to arrive.

Interesting point of view with the 950 history. While I enjoy speculation on upcoming products and can appreciate delays and testing needs, much of my curiousity is satisfied with pictures of up coming products. I get a much better idea of what is up and coming and its' usefullness to me.

I thought we would see something from SN or Outlaw at the CEDIA via Ultimate AV about the next generation of recievers or pre/pros. Maybe something will get posted.

There was some mention of Sherwood's R-972 in all the CEDIA coverage, particularly regarding its Trinnov room correction software (which was apparently quite impressive)...

Forgive my ignorance but who is SN?

Sherwood Newcastle.

I believe the 990 was based on the SN P-965, correct me if I'm wrong. I've only been looking at separates for a short time now, and these units were released a few years ago.

Yes, SN is Sherwood Newcastle. They developed a receiver a number of years ago now (the R-965) which was used to create a surround processor (the P-965, which was just the R-965 with no amps in it). Boston Acoustics briefly sold a P-965 with a different faceplate on it, but before that unit appeared Outlaw took the platform and made some significant changes to create the 990: added XLR outputs, added DVI switching, and re-wrote a lot of the software (new bass management software, new user interface).

At present, Sherwood has said they have no plans for a P-972 - just the R-972. It will have the Trinnov software that has been getting a fair bit of attention lately as well as the same Reon video chip used in the Toshiba XA2 and Onkyo's 905 receiver. Much like the R-965 before it, the R-972 has the potential to be a quite interesting platform.

Lee,

I disagree with you completely.

Oppo's new BD player will most certainly affect sales of their current DVD product line. They are doing the smart thing and letting people who would otherwise buy something now from someone else know that, with a little patience, they can buy an Oppo BD player "this Winter." That's enough to cause me to put off buying a new Sony unit - since I can be patient AND since I know it will have the features that I'm looking for.

My point is that Outlaw could do the same: tell us what they are planning to release and when. Not a date. Just a season! If they don't know what features they are planning, at this stage of the game, then I'm concerned.

There are units on the market now that offer all that I am looking for - and not for a price terribly greater than what we might expect from Outlaw for its next gen. But I'm a strange duck in these times: a loyal customer. I'd prefer to buy Outlaw. Always said so. But Outlaw's not making it easy.

Throw us a bone guys!

Jeff Mackwood