ATTENTION, PLEASE READ!

Given the content of the messages in this thread, it’s appropriate for me to make a few comments on behalf of the Outlaws. First, it bears stating that ALL preamplifiers, processors or receivers have some level of hiss. It’s simply unavoidable. Next, it is true that some, though far from all, of the units from the original production run of the Model 950 exhibited an ABNORMAL level of hiss. While there is no industry standard on what constitutes an acceptable level as opposed to an unacceptable level it was plain that there were units with hiss at a level that could be heard above the general noise floor of some listening rooms.

It is well known that to take care of this issue we took the rather extreme step of halting production to make the necessary changes required to eliminate the objections raised by some 950 owners. As you also know, we have resumed production and shipments, and virtually everyone with a unit containing the changes agrees that the hiss has been reduced to unobtrusive levels in most real world setups

Unfortunately, the intense focus on this subject has led some people to seemingly replace their home theater hobby for a “hiss hunt” in searching for hiss by going out of their way to create unusual scenarios where it can be detected. Since the Outlaws live in an open, Internet world by design, indeed, by providing this very Forum for discussion of this type of thing, we understand it as a part of the natural behavior in the home theater world. However, at a certain point one has to take a step back and look at what is going on.

As you get closer and closer to reducing hiss, a point is reached beyond which it either requires increasingly large costs to achieve smaller and smaller reductions. At a certain point you simply cannot reduce the hiss at all. This is a gray area, as there is no standard or measurement guideline for when “enough is enough”. We feel that the Model 950 is representative of a very reasonable standard. The fact that the vast majority of the number of owners – a number that increases dramatically each day – is more than satisfied with the performance tells us we’re right on the mark.

It is worth noting that we have taken a different design approach than some of our competitors. Many manufacturers employ muting circuitry on the digital inputs when a signal is stopped so that the listener has the impression that there is no hiss. In reality the hiss is there, but muting provides the illusion of “hiss-free” performance. We think this is the moral equivalent of sweeping the crumbs under the carpet. You can’t see them, but trust us, they are there. HOWEVER, in all cases, when the digital signal returns and the system resumes, the hiss present in ALL units returns, but it is at such a low level that you simply don’t notice it. The general agreement that the 950 is a great performer on digital soundtracks is the TRUE testament to the fact that the noise floor is more than sufficiently low. Comparing a muted input to one that is not is simply not the way to evaluate performance any more than you would think the carpet is totally clean unless you look under the couch.

We feel that we have effectively addressed the hiss issue with the current Model 950. Some may choose to find out how they can “hear the hiss” even though they have been satisfied with the unit’s performance when it counts: with program material playing. There isn’t much we can do for those people, other than to suggest that the unit is performing the way it is intended. We could have added a mute circuit, but we didn’t. What you hear is what you hear.

Of course, we stand behind our commitment to customer service and will always be there to assist those with an abnormal problem. However, we regret that when it comes to addressing the unrealistic scenarios or situations where the unit is otherwise performing properly, there is simply nothing we can do to help other than to suggest that you focus on true performance rather than situations that do not gauge the actual quality of a product.

Best Regards,

Scott