My friend just turned me onto the 950 & 7100. After reading the reviews, I am pretty much sold on it, but I had a question about THX. I understand it's just a set of standards that a receiver must meet. The 950 doesn't appear to have it. Is THX just hype created by Mr. Lucas or is it really worth looking for in a processor? Does it make a significant impact on the quality? If anyone could enlighten me I would greatly appreciate it.

Yes,
It is hype. It is very likely the 950 could pass all the THX tests but it is an expensive certification that would only increase the price of the 950. While it does give a certain sense of security as to some degree of quality if you are purchasing a lesser known brand. You know it can at least do enough to pass the THX cert. I don't think that needs to be a concern on the 950.

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Stott

[This message has been edited by stott (edited November 18, 2003).]

There is some hype to the THX logo. I recall reading a rash of DVD reviews a year or two back where the reviewers kept picking up "THX Certified" discs with disappointing transfers. It seems to have gotten better lately, but I don't know how much of that is because of near-universal improvements in the mastering process lately and how much is due to THX. With equipment, THX certification is a mix of marketing flash and a specific approach to surround sound.

THX certification for speakers is a combination of tests (quality control) and standards for frequency response (THX speaker systems are designed to work around an 80Hz crossover between full range speakers and sub). THX certification for receivers includes THX's own processing -- a variation of Dolby Digital, essentially. Most notably, Dolby initially did not license EX processing to the home theater market for the first two and a half years or so after it was introduced, but THX had THX EX almost immediately -- the only way to get "true" EX processing at the time. The 950 does not include THX processing, but it was one of the first products to include Dolby EX after Dolby began licensing it in late 2001.

How valuable is THX? Very debatable, but personally I agree with stott that it is over-hyped. The 950 includes a robust set of processing -- Dolby Digital and EX, DTS and DTS-ES, Pro Logic II, DTS:NEO6, and the very nice Cirrus Extra Surround. You won't miss the processing modes, and the performance of the 950 is excellent.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

I agree that THX is hyped, but I think it justified. Equipment that carries the THX logo HAS to meet certain performance criteria, which in essence gives the consumer a high quality component. The companies that pursue the logo certification do tend to sell their product at a higher price but you the consumer KNOW the standards the equipment has met. On the other side of the coin, their are numerous equipment makers (OutLaw included) that seem to not certify their equipment with the THX testing but offer GREAT product nonetheless. The companies that dont formally carry the logo may have the same performance though...

[This message has been edited by RayBan (edited November 18, 2003).]

Precisely. And I think the 950 and Outlaw's amps could safely be placed in that category.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

I'm not going to lambast THX. I think their efforts have helped much more than hurt, but it is, after all, a commercial venture. A few comments ...

There are some 'THX certified' theaters that, if I were a 'certified THX certifier,' I would yank the theater's cert for the way it sounds in there. But perhaps all the specs are met, and so the THX cert stays in place.

As to the 950, don't sweat the lack of THX cert. Prior to the 950 I was using a THX-certified Onkyo 'Ampli-tuner.' The 950/770 is a noticable improvement.

Thanks for the info. It sounds like 950 has more than sufficient amount of processing. I just wish I could listen to it before purchasing it. I have only heard good things about this product. I guess I can't go wrong. I plan on getting the 950 & 7100 to complement my Definitive Technology BP2002TL's. Does anyone have a similar setup using Def Techs?

Funny that you should mention DefTech speakers at the moment. There's been a pretty energetic discussion of that very subject over the last few days.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

LVThunder...I've got BP2006TL's in the front, CLR2300 Center, and BPX's in the rear.
There's more Def Tech talk in the link above that Gonk was nice enough to provide..

D.

Thanks for the link, Gonk. I have another issue that I am unsure about. Since the 950 does all that sound decoding, what should I look for in a DVD audio player? I notice many DVD players have the Dolby and DTS logo. Is that what I should look for or would I be buying the processing twice?