Got my 950 last night.

Point of reference -this is replacing a Denon AVR-1800 rec. ~3yrs. old and cost $400 at the time.
I have been using an Audiosource Amp 3 to power dual DIY sonotube/Shive subs, an Audiosource Amp 7 (Tripath based digital amp) to power the mains, and the Denon's internal amps to power the surrounds (no preout for surrounds).

First off... No brainer... sound-wise this thing blows away the Denon in every way. Then again, I had no doubts of that before I got it -as I'm sure everyone else would imagine also.

Build quality... obviously the 'guts' in this thing are great. Power supply, boards, chips, etc...
Outside, I've heard this thing's case called 'built like a tank'... uh, no, it's built like a typical reviever.

It's face doesn't look as good as the Denon's, I wish I could turn the display off like I can on my Denon, and the 950's case seems exactly the same thickness that the Denon's.
The 950's case is stronger though due to it not having air venting across the entire top and sides like the Denon.

If this sounds too critical, let me say I don't feel it's case needs to be any better than it is, just relating what I think of it.

The remote... Well, w/ the batteries on the top end (opposite of my Denon's), I keep grabing it facing the wrong way! No flaw there though, just funny!

I was hoping it would be able to learn all my other remotes and I could shelve them. Still not finished working on that, but it seems like, sadly, I won't be able to do that.

Even though it's more advanced than the non-learning universal model the Denon came with, it seems to not control much more than the Denon does, and seems worst of all, it's worse at controlling my Pannie RP-56 DVD player.

I can put in the code to work the DVD's menu system, OR I can teach the remote how to work the play/stop/pause 'CD player type' functions, but looks like not BOTH unless I use up the macros (which I guess I will). My Denon can toggle between the two full sets of controls.

I have a tiny remote to control my wall sconces. ON/OFF button, and dim up/down buttons. I can teach the remote the dim up/down function, but it won't learn the on/off button!? No idea why, but even though the button turns green to say 'It DID learn it', it WON'T accept the save of it?

I also don't like when switching to control diff components, the Outlaw switches inputs, and has to re-aquire the audio signal. The Denon remote didn't have that problem because it had control buttons at the top like the 950, but ALSO input mode buttons at the botton. Much better IMO.

Maybe I missed something in the manual about improving this switching problem, but I did't really look at the manual beyond how you program in the remote codes and learn codes.
"I don't need no stinking manual!"

The main point (though not the only point) is how it sounds though right?

After about 5 min. to set this up (super easy through either the 950's face, or onscreen display) I played some CD tracks that I know inside and out. Tori Amos, Pink Floyd, The Police, ect...

Note- I didn't use an SPL meter of calibrate any certain vol to 75db. I just set my main speakers (Newform Research 645's) to 0db and through test tones set surrounds (NR 630's) to level match, and also guessed on the sub level. Set the distances , and 80Hz x-overs. My Newform's typically go much lower than that, but they're so far away from the walls ~6', that the bass is greatly reduced (other than bass for reinforcement, it's the optimal placement otherwise), and it only improves the midrange by taking out as much bass from them as I can get away with.

I don't like center speakers, and don't have or like side dipole surrounds. I may get a rear center in the future though.

The Denon never said in the manual what the 'small' x-over was, but I assumed ~80Hz. I could turn off my main amp and still hear most of the song coming through the subs. I thought this was just a slow 1st order x-over slope, but I can't really say.

With the 950 set to 80Hz, there's only bass. Almost nothing above that. A HUGE diff.

Overall the full range sound of stereo+subs is WORLDS better than the Denon used as a preamp (which was already much better than the Denon used as an all in one reciever).

Bass is tremendously tighter. The midrange is far more detailed, and the highs are much more extended.
The sound is far better even than when I ran my DVD player directly into my main amp (which has gain controls) and while direct-to-amp was a hassle to set up, was much better itself than running through the Denon -except I couldn't run my subs in that setup.

With movies the Denon always seemed to crackle with lots of movie dialouge. This was the same at low volumes too, so it wasn't clipping, or at least not what I would think. I thought DD, and DTS data streams are pretty bulletproof as they pass along dig. cables (I'm using Outlaw's optical -which sounds no diff. than my Acoustic Research opt. cable), so I figrued the Denon was somehow damaging the audio once it was decoded, and have always hated this problem I've been living with.

With the 950, that prob. is solved. Very clean, and accurate sounding. This is the main reason for getting this sucker for me, and it does what I wanted it to do!

I can't comment on the PL2 very much. Seems cool. Should be nice for TV. Probably games too.
I noticed it has the same 'swirly noise' though that original PL does when you put your ears close to the rear speakers. This doesn't show up when you're sitting in a normal spot though, so I'm sure it'll be fine. Not so far the thrilling element some others feel it is.

Some people write reviews on this thing and mention nothing else in their system. The 950 is only a piece of a chain, and no matter how good you call the 950, it can't EVER be anything more than that, so what it's mated to like any other component make a huge diff. in a review.

I think now that I have the 950, that my sound is still a little flat and processed sounding (in audiophile nitpicking terms -not blatant at all), and I'd like to get a new main amp to hear just how far I can take this sound quality from the 950 to my Newform Research and soon to be SVS of Hsu sub.

Overall... worth the $900 for sure. Still not sure just how good it is though, but so far at least VERY GOOD.