Write on Brother...

The Outlaw design philosophy is for the most part very representative of what it does... "Form follows function", and "Less is More" are the architectural descriptions of this aesthetic.

The design (in aggregate) is very elegant, in the same way that aircraft instrumentation or a divers watch has no spare decoration (or flashiness); it is all about the business of doing what it is supposed to do, as precisely and as simply as possible. Pilots, Divers and Audiophiles…

That being said, the industrial designers at Outlaw have made some choices that I believe are more a result of personal taste (unique designs that were developed early in the companies history) which are not consistent with their overall design philosophy. These include the Outlaw logo and green plastic power buttons, etc…

The Volume Knob on the 950 does not disturb me as much as it seems to affect others, but it too could be refined, possibly by adding weight. I have always liked the tactile feel of viscous damped controls, such as the throttle control on aircraft. Engine Speed (which affects thrust), like Volume, is something that is done with purpose, and should not be so delicate that it could be mistakenly altered, or over corrected.

My admiration for Outlaw and their designers is without reservation. They have done a great job. As a young company, it will refine its identity as time moves on. These small design wanderings are part of that maturation process. It could be done better, and given the talent demonstrated by Outlaw, I am confident it will.

The logo and plastic green button stuff does make me wish I was in the room when the "GO or NO GO" design decision was made, but it could have been much worse. It could have been flashy.