As a 750 owner, I decided to plunk down the cash and get myself a 950 for X-mas! I hooked it up and turned it on to start listening to the sweet sounds of my CD player, and what I heard was quite hard to explain. The only thing that comes to mind as a comparision would be in the movie Dumb and Dumber when Jim Carey asked if anyone wanted to hear the most annoying sound in the world? Well, it sounded like that. With all interconnects in place, only my center channel suffered. No sound from the rest of the speakers. As I tried to figure out what the heck was going on, the surrounds and fronts finally kicked in. I could hear a faint amount of music, but the...aaaaannnnnaaaaa...seemed to dominate.

I guess my question is, has anyone received a unit that sounded like this??
Merry X-mas.

I'd check the cables and stuff. Unplug it, wait a few minutes, plug it in again. And I think there is a reset button somewhere under/near the volume dial (Merc, SH, Gonk?).

Quoth the manual:
System Reset
In rare cases the Model 950’s internal processor may freeze or lock-up caus-ing abnormal operation. This is common to all micro-processor controlled devices when the unit is subject to excessive static discharge, AC line noise, or power spikes.
In most cases it is easy to solve this problem by simply unplugging the Model 950 from its AC power source for about five minutes. After waiting, reconnect the power cord and turn the unit on. If the unit functions normally, no further action is needed.
In the event that the unit still does not operate properly, it may be necessary to manually reset the processor. Note, however, that when the processor is reset you will lose all settings including digital audio assignments, surround mode settings, speaker configurations, tuner presets and any other memory items. For this reason we strongly recommend that you record these settings on the chart provided on page 18 of this manual so that it is easy to restore them after resetting the processor.
To reset the unit you must first remove the volume control knob on the front panel by grasping it and gently pulling the knob straight out towards you. When the knob is removed you will see a very small hole in the black aluminum front panel at the “nine o’clock” position. With the unit on, use a toothpick or unfolded paper clip to gently press the button behind the opening. Hold the button for a second and then release it. This should reset the system.
Replace the volume control knob, being careful to line up the flat surface on the control shaft with the matching flat surface on the inside of the knob. Push the knob straight on to the shaft until it is firmly seated.
If the manual reset does not solve the problem, contact Outlaw Audio for further advice. Unquoth.

But maybe you should first:
Check interconnects to the amplifier and connections from the amplifier to the speakers
Check surround mode to make certain it provides output to all speakers
Check Speaker Config menu to make certain all speakers are set to Small or Large

Hope you can finally enjoy your autogift.

[This message has been edited by tofufot (edited December 25, 2002).]

I'll try the system reset. No need to worry about losing any system callibrations since I really never got a chance to do that.
I did check all the connections/interconnects 7 or 8 times. Call it compulsive if you will.
We'll see.

OK. Just tried the reset suggestion. With the interconnects in place and the DVD player hooked up through coax #1 (even tried an optical and std analog). The same result. A high pitched hum/static coming from the center speaker. It is tough to tell if the same noise is coming from the other four speakers because the volume is so low even at -10. There is sound (movie/music) coming from all five speakers, but the "noise" is so loud from the center speaker, I'm not real sure what the rest of the system is doing.
It was worth a try. I'll give the Outlaws a call tomorrow.

You might also check the wiring of the center channel speaker and the wiring from the 950's pre-amp out to the amp for the center channel -- something may have gotten bumped or messed up in that signal path.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

I talked the the Outlaws regarding the "noise". After a few tests, it was determinded that it was indeed the 950. They promptly shipped out a new unit that day.
I am happy to say that the replacement is noise free. Even at high volumes I hear absolutely nothing! It is one of the 02- models, so it looks like the new fix is a good one.
As for my first impressions, I am happy with it. The sound is more separated than what I got with my Yamaha 2092 serving as a pre amp. DPII-C is incredible. I watched Reign of Fire in analog, and it sounded very close to a Dolby Digital DVD.
Another cool feature that I didn't think I would utilize was the options for CD music. DPII-M and the various choices to blend the center speaker made a huge difference.
I am still trying to figure out the s-video switching. There is a difference between the 950 and the Yamaha. PQ seems about the same, but the color is not quite as vibrant on the 950. I reset the levels using my Video Essentials disk, but the blues and yellows are still slightly softer. It's not bad, just something I will have to get used to.
The one thing I do not like about the 950 is the amount of time it takes to lock in the correct audio signal. With Auto on and off, it still takes at least a couple of seconds to lock on. For most, this would not be a problem, but 95% or more of my television viewing is recorded (I have 3 Tivos hooked up to one TV). Everytime I fast forward, the 950 has to lock in the signal once the progam continues. It seems I miss the first few seconds of programing, so I will have to revise my remote to accomodate.
Overall, I like the 950. It was a snap setting up and callibrating the speakers etc. I read the manual 3 or 4 times before the unit arrived which was nice. I only had to refer to it a couple of times during my set up. The wife noticed a sound improvement right away as well. Now I don't have to justify the $900 that was spent!
Good job Outlaws!

It does take a couple seconds for the sound to make it's way through the DSP/switching circuits of the 950 when switching sources, even analog ones. I would guess it's due to the processing speed of the DSP processor, or possibly a timed mute so that no nasty blasts of sound reach you as it switches inputs.

I reset the levels using my Video Essentials disk, but the blues and yellows are still slightly softer. It's not bad, just something I will have to get used to.
If you can find a boutique which allows exchanges on interconnects or demo samples before purchase, you might try some new video cables.

I found the most amazing differences on how these cables preformed A to B run with the same system. (S and component)

There were also changes noted in them when I switched Displays on how THAT particular display interacted differently with the same cable used on a previous CRT when I went to LCD. Detail and red push were most effected for me.

I still intend to try the Outlaw Pure Silvers for video and a few other (brands) selections here and there when I get round to it.

[This message has been edited by soundhound (edited December 30, 2002).]