gonk,

Yes, the Pioneer 54TX, is a better buy than the 950 these days. I'm an outlaw fan, but these guys are not being subjective, they have outlaw on the brain. Feature wise, Pioneer wins hands down, better DACS, latest formats, and the list goes on. Room correction is very important, and MCCAC is getting very good reviews. THe next outlaw pre-amp processor will most likely be better than the 54TX, but the 950 is not period. The emotiva lite product is the only other product out there that will have most of the latest features at the 950's price point, if you are striclty looking at pre-pro.