Clarity, versatility, ease of use, transparency.

None known at this time.

What follows is not so much a technical review of the 950/755 combination as much as it is initial perceptive comments. These are my first comments after four hours of CD listening, and a few DVDs. First, the location of my of Klipsch Heresy I speakers became questionable. I found myself listening for the stage location of the the instruments within different musical passages. Second, for the first time, any metallic instrument, whether percussion or a guitar string, was perceived to be metal and not sound like plastic. My final initial perception was that as I increased the volume level, the music did not sound any louder. Now don''t get me wrong, the sound pressure level in the room was increasing, I simple did not perceive loudness. After noticing a sensation of ear pressure similar to what you would experience in ten feet of water, I thought it best to turn the volume down a bit. I could continue with my accolades for the 950/755, but I would run the risk of being redundant. Oh, I must throw in this final comment. With your mouth open and your eyes either closed or open looking for the invisible performer on stage, who cares what the logo looks like

Similar Products Used:

None

sonic performance, digital processing features, value

lacks some features that users of high-end pre/pros (Anthem AVM-20, etc.) may miss

This one was a long time coming, and has been hotly discussed in some circles online for probably a year or so now. Now that it''s finally here, the debate is shifting from supposition to how it performs. This is my first true pre/pro (I''d been using an Outlaw 1050 as pre/pro with an Outlaw 750 and Parasound HCA-800 for almost 9 months now). The first thing I noticed when I hooked up my 950 was the wonderful sound with CD''s. The noise floor is remarkable, making it a worthwhile option for home theater enthusiasts looking to also get good two-channel performance out of their surround system (rather than trying to have two separate systems). It was very difficult to turn off the CD player and try some DVD''s on it that first day. The digital processing modes are key for a new pre/pro, and the 950 delivers here with Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Digital EX, DTS-ES, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS:NEO6, and Cirrus Extra Surround. Cirrus Extra Surround lets you generate a center surround channel (6.1/7.1) from any source -- Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS, Pro Logic II, or NEO6. From my experience, Cirrus Extra handles 5.1 soundtracks better than either DTS-ES or Dolby EX. Pro Logic II is also great for TV or video tape watching; it took me a while to really warm up to it, but after a week or two of listening I started to really enjoy it. For more, try my review at http://www.prillaman.net/950review.html Equipment List: Mitsubishi CS-27309 27" television Panasonic PV-S4566 S-VHS VCR Panasonic DVD-A310 DVD player Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2000 digital cable Outlaw Audio Model 950 pre/pro Outlaw Audio Model 750 amplifier Parasound HCA-800 Mk II amplifier Yamaha CDC-775 CD changer Paradigm Reference Studio/60 v2 speakers (mains) Paradigm Reference Studio/CC v2 speaker (center) Paradigm Reference Studio/ADP v2 speakers (surrounds, surround back) Sega Dreamcast game console Mixture of TMC, Outlaw, and BetterCables interconnects Mixture of TMC, Bettercables, and Monster XP speaker cables Panamax MAX 5100 power conditioner

Similar Products Used:

Outlaw Model 1050, Yamaha RX-V690