Fellow Outlaws,

Those of you who have been following the news from CES have probably seen the Outlaws mentioned in announcements from some of the major technology companies in the audio and home theater world. In brief, we have added some additional items to our next processor beyond those already announced which include Dolby Atmos in a 7.2.4 configuration, HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 and premium, audiophile-grade components.

• The Outlaws are one of the first licensees for the new DTS: X technology making it possible for us to give you native decoding for both major object-based audio formats. At this time it is too early say if DTS:X will be available at product launch or as a no-charge upgrade shortly after production; as the timing for receiving and integrating the firmware is largely in the hands of DTS and our DSP supplier.

• Our new processor will also include HD-Radio to take terrestrial radio reception to the highest possible quality level along with delivery of additional content not available with traditional tuners. HD-Radio will be part of this exciting new product from the first shipment.

To make all of this possible we have beefed up the processor’s DSP section to include two of the most powerful audio DSPs available along with additional high-speed memory. Thanks to a new, exclusively Outlaw, hardware platform developed by our teams and manufactured under our total control, we have the flexibility to offer these innovations without worrying about outside forces.

Both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X require more than just DSP and memory, as the hardware must accommodate the additional output channels and their DACs. Therefore, it is not possible to update existing products such as the Model 975 to add them. However, when the new processor becomes available we will offer an attractive program to recognize the loyalty of our existing customers when they purchase the new model.

It is now time for the Outlaws to return to a “quiet” period as it is simply too soon to comment further on the rest of the feature list, the price or the availability date. As we’ve all learned, predicting a release date at this point is not appropriate. This is mostly due to deliverables from outside sources and suppliers that are not yet available and whose delivery date is outside of our control. These key firmware components must not only be in our hands, they must then be integrated into the product, tested internally and then certified.

Therefore, any target date we set now would be subject to change; it is just too early to say when the processor will ship. That will happen only when everything is complete and meets not only our own standards and those of our technology licensors and partners, but also the most important quality test: your performance expectations.

We’ll update you along the way as progress allows, but beyond these first two announcements we can’t answer any other questions at this time.

We thank you for your support not only in the past year, but for the past 15 years that the Outlaws have been the innovator in direct-to-consumer home audio products. Along with the new processor, we are hard at work on other products. Indeed, one will be announced within the next few weeks. Rest assured, that in 2015 and for the years ahead, at Outlaw Audio, “The Best Values in Home Theater are Just a Mouse-Click Away”™