Let's see if I can answer some of these questions...

1. Yes, the 950 does support DVD-Audio and SACD. Keep in mind that you must have a DVD player that supports the formats, which you must then connect to the 950 with a set of six analog audio cables. Until very recently, this was the only way to connect DVD-A or SACD players (due to concerns from RIAA about allowing a digital audio output, which could have allowed for perfect digital copies of these formats). There is an emerging digital interface which uses IEEE 1394 (FireWire, or iLink), but so far it hasn't become available on pre/pros. There are a few flagship receivers that use it, and an equally small number of DVD-A/SACD players.

The 950 offers Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS, DTS:ES, DTS:NEO6, and proprietary surround back channel format called Cirrus Extra Surround that is compatible with any 5.1 processing mode. The only processing modes that are available today that the 950 lacks are THX (which is omitted from nearly all pre/pros under $2000) and Pro Logic IIx (which is relatively new). Personally, I don't see any problem with leaving THX off. Pro Logic IIx is an extension of Pro Logic that is similar to Cirrus Extra Surround but generates discrete left and right surround back channels -- Dolby EX, DTS:ES, Outlaw's CES, and nearly all other proprietary surround back modes produce a mono signal that is sent to both surround back channels.

I noticed that in your next question, you mentioned only driving five speakers (mains plus center and surrounds). It's worth remembering that Dolby EX, DTS:ES, CES, and Pro Logic IIx only work with a 6.1 or 7.1 speaker setup.

2. I don't know if Outlaw will provide ratings for five (or three) channels driven or not, but there should be more power available at least as far as headroom is concerned.

3. The 1070 will include pre-amp outputs for all seven channels, so it would be entirely possible to drive your mains with M200's and leave the other speakers on the 1070's amps. You will need to pick up a sound meter and calibrate all of your channels no matter what (there are test tones generated by the receiver or pre/pro to aid in this), which will allow you to equalize the sound.

4. There has been no announcement about a replacement for the 950, although we know from a recent post that there is a design in development. That of course leaves us with no firm idea of when. Not this year. I'd put it at least a year away, possibly 18 months.

5. Digital bass management refers to bass management that is performed in the digital domain (during the signal processing required to apply whatever surround mode is selected). It takes the signal for any speakers defined as "small" and applies crossovers to redirect the information below the crossover point from that speaker to the subwoofer (or, in the case of a system with no sub, the mains, which would be defined as "large" in that case). The 950 does this with what Outlaw calls a "triple crossover" - different crossover points can be specified for the mains, center, and surrounds. Analog bass management refers solely to the bass management provided for the six-channel analog input that I mentioned in my first answer -- the input used for DVD-Audio and SACD. These signals are high-resolution audio that is converted from digital to analog at the player, and to preserve the audio quality we would prefer to not convert that signal back to digital for processing and then back to analog again, so the six-channel analog input bypasses all digital processing. To provide some bass management for this signal (since even now many DVD-A/SACD players do not provide very good bass management), Outlaw included an analog crossover system based around an 80Hz crossover.

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