This brings up some interesting points. More than anything it emphasizes the need for people to actually hear these units for themselves rather than just to rely on the words of others. Nothing substitutes for actual experience, although in many cases this is impractical. However, there is a "good news, bad news" scenario with Outlaw and the 950. On the one hand, the waiting list makes this a bit difficult and frustrating to potential customers. But on the other hand the availability of a money-back return policy does allow for in-home auditioning at some point. You have to weigh the options and do what you have to do.

And on the matter of "brightness" I have some feelings on the matter. One of the first things I noticed when beta testing the 950 was that it appeared a bit "bright" (I thought more of the term "harsh)" when listening to certain source materials - especially satellite TV in my particular case. Then, as I listened more I realized that I was mistaking "brightness" or "harshness" for what is really "accuracy" of sound. My Dish Network audio is inherently bright or edgy sounding and all that the 950 was guilty of was reproducing it with a degree of accuracy that was missing from my previous equipment - a Denon 5700. Don't blame the 950 for doing its job in this area.

However, some people have probably become accustomed to other than accurate sound so they may not prefer accuracy, as curious as that may seem. Once again, an important reason to listen for yourself rather than to listen to others if this is feasable.

Whatever.

Nobody is forcing anybody to purchase one product over another.

My 2 cents on this whole issue of comparative evaluations.

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RAF

My HT (latest update 04/17/02) Now includes Outlaw 950 and Outlaw 755