I would expect the transition from Harman Kardon AVR310 (as pre/pro) to Outlaw 950 to be similar to the upgrade from Outlaw 1050 (as pre/pro) to Outlaw 950, and that was an upgrade that I've been extremely happy with. Definitely not a side step.

The popping issue was likely caused by the HK trying to recognize what format it was receiving. The 950 is much more likely to show a slightly longer mute between format changes than any popping.

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