well I'm about to buy a pre/pro to replace my old and yes cheesy optimus receiver but I got a good deal on a rotel 1075 amp and was going to purchase a processor from them as well until I stumbled across Outlaw. For the same price as the ROTEL amp/pro I can get an outlaw setup but with 200w monoblocks instead of the 5x125 rotel? would this make very much difference and I noticed the outlaw has DVI kind of important since I will finally be setting up a dedicated HT room with new projector and my new denon 3910 has DVI support.

Guess my real question is why buy outlaw? can anyone point me to a comparison between say the 950 and a rotel 1066. also I read somewhere that the DVI on the outlaw is only a switch.. does this mean the OSD will not work through these outputs?

and finally are they going to color match the amps to the 990 now that the 950 is gone >?
sorry for the long post
Thanks to everyone

P.S. if this is in the wrong forum please let me know

This is the right forum. It's still a little early to say with much certainty how the 990 sounds, but early reports have been very positive. I've been maintaining a pre/pro comparison chart for a few years now, and it includes the Rotel 1068 and the 990. Based on features alone, the 990 wins (especially considering the difference in prices), but we must also consider how the units sound. A few folks here (myself included) have had the opportunity to compare the Model 950 and the Rotel 1068 and found the 950 to be the sonic equal or better of the 1068 (I found the 1068 to be somewhat harsher sounding than the 950, and both my wife and I preferred the smoother sound of the 950). Initial reports on the 990 suggest that it is going to prove to be a step up from the 950.

The DVI switching on the 990 will not carry the OSD and will not crossconvert from component to DVI, but the component outputs will carry OSD as well as all s-video and composite video inputs.

We haven't heard what Outlaw plans for their existing amps in light of the new design style of the 990 and the upcoming 1070.

Just to provide a counterpoint I currently own a Rotel 1068. I initially purchased it over the 950 since it allowed true direct bypass on the 7.1 inputs, was software upgradeable and had several user interface upgrades I liked. I will not say it sounded harsh, but it was "edgy" compared to the Outlaw 1050 it replaced (using 5 M200's for both. However, the edginess disipated after a while but the clarity and extension did not. After a few months I compared it to a used 950 and I preferred the sound of the 1068.

I do not consider the 990 a big enough upgrade for me. However, if I did not own the 1068 I would seriously consider the 990 since its current price is essentially what I paid for my 1068.

One big difference between the Rotel 1068 and the 990 is you can buy it..

The 990 is a big enough upgrade for me I think considering I have no real pre/pro to begin with it is pretty much a no brainer. I have seen a lot about DVI and HDMI inputs on the 990 and wether it is good enough for the future. I for one will never run my video into an audio component no matter how good it maybe. That said I do understand the need for many to have an adaquate means of switching video and I for one believe the 990 is fine for handling the video portion of the task with the DVI inputs. However, I too feel it would have been nice to see an i link peeping out from between some of the input/outputs on the back panel. The ultimate end purpose for having a pre/pro is flexibility in audio video processing, switching and delivery. Without an i link the 990 becomes some what more rigid than flexible in that regard. However, I believe I can find it within myself to forgive them for this oversight and will probably be purchasing one in the near future.

Also, thanks to GONK for the compare and share chart. I hear quite a bit about you on this site. It is almost as if you have obtained some kind of jedi status with some of the more frequent users. Seeing as how your are member no. 64 I guess that pretty much makes you the old green guy huh?

The 990 vs 1068 would be a tough call for me. I currently own the 1068/1075 combo and overall I am very pleased with it. The Rotel sound is unique, and will somewhat depend (obviously) upon what speakers you are using. I would really want to hear the 990 first, but if I already had the 1075, I would most likely get the 1068. They are made for each other and the resale value of the pair would be higher. Further, you might find that the 1068/1075 sounds better too, which is a always a matter of personal opinion, period.

Just remember those DVI switchers ain't cheap...$224 for the 2v1 Geffen, and that's with a AVS forum discount. DVI switch box
BTW, no pre/pro with a DVI or HDMI switch will display OSD across them. It is apparently a hugh leap to interject text into that digital stream of video. I sure as heck wouldn't want it to even try. I don't want my pic getting degraded. In the 990, (as well as the Geffen unit) it's supposed to be a simple, mechanical switch, that's all. And as far as I'm concerned, that's a plus.
I was going to buy (in fact I did...I discovered this 990 was coming out too late to cancel my order for the Geffen switch) a DVI switch anyway, so I figure I can knock $224 bucks off the final price of the 990 because I won't have to (errr...I have 30 days to return it) buy a separate DVI switch box.

I'd like to thank everyone for the replies. I like the fact that it has DVI switching and I now understand why none have OSD through DVI or HDMI for that matter.

can anyone comment on the types of processors/dacs used between the two units? is either of higher quality?
and last question what kind of difference might I notice running all M200's vs the 125wpc rotel amp. will it really make a big difference?
Thanks again

one more quick ?
what is the USB port on the 990 for and can the software/firmware be updated on this unit?
Thanks