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At this time, it has become obvious that an update is necessary on the status of the 950. While earlier delivery estimates have fallen short, this has never been our intention. However, as you know, shipping of the Model 950 has come to a stop. As you may also know, a small number of units have shipped with an abnormal level of hiss.
The cause of this hiss has become the topic of heavy debate in the Outlaw Saloon as well as in other online forums. It has also become a significant burden to our engineers here in the United States as well as our engineering team in Malaysia. Literally working around the clock we have been able to isolate a few potential causes. Further complicating things is the fact that this problem is confined to a small sample of units making it harder, not easier, to solve. There are many individual factors pertaining to each installation which means a "fix" that works in the lab might not work in the field. The hardware and software engineering required to get to the bottom of things is a very time consuming process. If everyone had the same problem, it would be easy.
The "good news" is, while the reports of problems sometimes seem magnified by postings on the forums, their actual number in proportion to the number of units shipped is very small. The "bad news" is that the small number of samples and the variations in the way in which the problems manifest themselves make the solution harder to reach.
We are continuing to investigate the root cause for this anomaly, and will continue our commitment to resolving this issue for each and every consumer. Since several customers have contacted us regarding a lack of communication regarding both the status of the 950 and our intentions, here is our interim proposal:
· If your 950 exhibits an abnormal level of hiss, please send an e-mail with the serial number of your unit and your name, phone number and address to 950service@outlawaudio.com. We will then send confirmation of your letter. Once a universal fix has been established we will process your request and tell you how to send the unit back to our warehouse and service center. We will arrange for a pick-up by FedEx Ground at our expense, and we will ship a modified unit back to you prepaid.
· The timing for all of this will be worked out with you via e-mail.
Given that anyone who was unhappy with their initial unit has already had the option to return it within the 30-day audition period, we feel that this is a reasonable way to accommodate those who appreciate the sonics and features of the Model 950.
In addition, we will begin to provide more timely updates regarding the status of the product. What we can not do is provide estimates as to when individual units will ship. Calling/e-mailing the Sales and Support office regarding this status will only further hinder our ability to work efficiently at resolving the issue. However, we will continue to encourage any and all contact regarding the operation, use, and/or integration of our equipment.
One last comment. While we have been extremely liberal regarding the use of our Saloon, we have NEVER stopped reading it or any other industry news boards. Due to the roller coaster like nature of the hiss problem we felt it would have done more harm than good to comment in many of the ongoing threads. Giving out information that ultimately proves to be inaccurate only makes the situation worse for everyone. These new, timelier updates will inform you of our continuing progress in dealing with this situation.
We thank you for your patience and understanding.
Best Regards,
The Outlaws
The cause of this hiss has become the topic of heavy debate in the Outlaw Saloon as well as in other online forums. It has also become a significant burden to our engineers here in the United States as well as our engineering team in Malaysia. Literally working around the clock we have been able to isolate a few potential causes. Further complicating things is the fact that this problem is confined to a small sample of units making it harder, not easier, to solve. There are many individual factors pertaining to each installation which means a "fix" that works in the lab might not work in the field. The hardware and software engineering required to get to the bottom of things is a very time consuming process. If everyone had the same problem, it would be easy.
The "good news" is, while the reports of problems sometimes seem magnified by postings on the forums, their actual number in proportion to the number of units shipped is very small. The "bad news" is that the small number of samples and the variations in the way in which the problems manifest themselves make the solution harder to reach.
We are continuing to investigate the root cause for this anomaly, and will continue our commitment to resolving this issue for each and every consumer. Since several customers have contacted us regarding a lack of communication regarding both the status of the 950 and our intentions, here is our interim proposal:
· If your 950 exhibits an abnormal level of hiss, please send an e-mail with the serial number of your unit and your name, phone number and address to 950service@outlawaudio.com. We will then send confirmation of your letter. Once a universal fix has been established we will process your request and tell you how to send the unit back to our warehouse and service center. We will arrange for a pick-up by FedEx Ground at our expense, and we will ship a modified unit back to you prepaid.
· The timing for all of this will be worked out with you via e-mail.
Given that anyone who was unhappy with their initial unit has already had the option to return it within the 30-day audition period, we feel that this is a reasonable way to accommodate those who appreciate the sonics and features of the Model 950.
In addition, we will begin to provide more timely updates regarding the status of the product. What we can not do is provide estimates as to when individual units will ship. Calling/e-mailing the Sales and Support office regarding this status will only further hinder our ability to work efficiently at resolving the issue. However, we will continue to encourage any and all contact regarding the operation, use, and/or integration of our equipment.
One last comment. While we have been extremely liberal regarding the use of our Saloon, we have NEVER stopped reading it or any other industry news boards. Due to the roller coaster like nature of the hiss problem we felt it would have done more harm than good to comment in many of the ongoing threads. Giving out information that ultimately proves to be inaccurate only makes the situation worse for everyone. These new, timelier updates will inform you of our continuing progress in dealing with this situation.
We thank you for your patience and understanding.
Best Regards,
The Outlaws
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