Outlaw has asked for user input in the past. Heck, the contest that they used to give away a free 950 was a poll of whether or not we wanted "surround modes" like Hall and Stadium -- the ones that look great in the feature list at Best Buy but that the typical Outlaw user just skips over on his way to other things. It was a risky choice because it is a noticeable gap in the laundry list of features, but the majority of the people who responded said "no" and Outlaw listened.

Outlaw was very eager to get the word out about the 950 -- and they paid the price in forums between fall 2001 and spring 2002. As a result, they have chosen to keep quiet about future products until much closer to the time they are ready to ship. The New Product Suggestions forum is a handy place for folks like us to toss out ideas -- like David Olstein's wishlist (and a mighty fine list, I might add).

When it comes to looks, there's one problem. You can never please everyone. I grew up surrounded by artists and work with architects and interior designers every day, and one thing that I figured out long ago is that one person's masterpiece is another person's embarrassment. Based on the quantity of feedback that Outlaw has had over the last couple years on the appearance of their gear, I agree that they need to make sure aesthetics are kept in mind for future products. They have certainly made some progress since the 1050 (in my humble opinion, of course -- the 950 and the hibernating IR1000 are cleaner, less cluttered designs than the 1050's assortment of round and rectangular buttons and the pinstripe). I think it would be sort of cool to see a style change at some point, where they migrate to a less spartan style. Offering everything in silver as an option feels like more of a band-aid, although that may be my lack of enthusiasm for silver faceplates speaking. Maybe it's an effective band-aid.

Eskendir -- I wish you the best on your search. If all else fails, you could always conceal the 770 (behind a nice wood panel perhaps, with some nice natural ventilation available to keep it cool) and have something even better than a pretty amp: an unseen amp.

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