I'm a perspective buyer. I've read through all of the posts in this forum regarding the 2150's volume control, and I don't feel completely comfortable with what I've learned so far.

For me, the decision is between the 2150 and the NAD C720BEE. I've seen and listened to the NAD in person, so I know what to expect there. (I owned the original 3020 in days of yore.)

The slippery input selector knob, I can deal with since I will rarely depart from the CD setting.

However, I use the volume control a lot, and mostly via remote. I think it will get old fast tapping the UP and DOWN buttons again and again trying to get the right low- to middle-level setting. Frankly, I don't buy Outlaw's explanation for the mechanical play in the volume control being due to it not being recessed. Lots of amps and receivers have motor-driven pots and I've never seen one with play. Maybe they just need to explain that better -- in mechanical terms.

For me, the pluses for the 2150 over the NAD include:
- Bass management (I already own an LFM-2)
- Phono section
- More power ... maybe
- Metal face plate

...but the volume control is a sticky point.

Lastly, I'm a little concerned that the advertised SN ratio is quite a bit high than what was actually measured by John Atkinson in Stereophile.

I agree with you about the play in the volume control, I tried various brands(at least 5) with motor driven volume controls and none were like this. Maybe we're missing some kind of cosmic explanation or something ...... but I still don't get why is has play in it either. I can live with it because I adjust mostly by hand, but if I relied on the remote ...... it may bug me .... but really ...... I don't adjust the volume all that frequently. Everyone's different though ..... one's passion is another's poison. Since you like to adjust it alot, it may be aproblem, but it may not. Unfortunately, it really has to be experienced to know how it will be for you. I'd recommend calling Outlaw with your concerns, be precise and persistent in your questions.

I'd prefer a linear volume control on the RR2150, these give easy, precise adjustments. For that matter, I'd prefer a adjustment knob for the tuner also(keep the digital display), push button tuning is not exactly retro, and I've never liked it. I thought it was stupid when it was introduced and frankly, it still is!

I don't know about the SN ratio, but I don't use the phono. Everything else is very quiet. Powerwise ..... other than the one person on this forum, it's not an issue. It plays loud enough for me, and clean.

Comparing it with the NAD, you'll have to do that. I owned a C372 and found a distinct difference between the Outlaw and NAD sound. The NAD to me is emphasized more toward the low end, at the expense of the high end. It sounded as if there was a veil over the music, dampening the resolution of the music. If NAD ever put a headphone jack on their CD players, it would be easily apparent there's something missing from the tuning of the preamp section..... at least to me. My modest Sony CD player showed the difference easliy. Overall I found the NAD experience not to my liking, but that's me. Many people love the NAD sound ..... again, one passion is another's rotten egg:)

The Outlaw is not quite as punchy as the NAD, but overall it is well balanced, no over or under emphasis anywhere. The sound of it was my number one factor in keeping it, and it is the best I've tried so far in this price range.


Good luck with whatever you decide.... and welcome to the forum

Volume control with the remote can be a little annoying as it increases/decreases per press a little more than I would like. Years ago I lost the remote to my previous receiver so I guess I just got used to using the volume control knob, which on the 2150 I don't have an issue with.

I'm not very technical, yet at least, when it comes to crunching receiver statistics but I do know when something sounds good. The 2150, to me anyway, sounds amazing and is noticeably better than the Pioneer VSX9700S I was using for years.

The bad thing about the 2150 I have noticed is that I can no longer listen to music over my computer speakers without thinking how terrible the sound is. I have never heard any NAD products so I really don't have an opinion on that. Bottom line is that I really enjoy the sound and the only problems I have encountered have been placed in the annoyance category. Outlaw does have a 30 return policy I believe, maybe it would be worth your time to get both and compare. I would certainly be interested in hearing what you find out.

I may order. What's holding me back is that although an annoying volume control would be a serious issue for me, it seems like a frivolous reason to return something, leaving Outlaw holding the bag for an "open box" item.

At any rate, I doubt that this issue will get "fixed." The party line from Outlaw seems to be that the volume control is supposed to be that way. For them to "fix" the issue would imply that it was broken in the first place, and then everyone would want theirs fixed, too.

Maybe I'm stating the obvious here, but Outlaw has a return policy for a reason. Returns are all apart of their business equation, and as consumers it's not our responsibility to concern ourselves with what they may do with a return,or what they think of us for doing so. They want you to be satisfied, but everyone has their own definition for it. I do not consider the volume control frivolous at all, it's something we use on a daily basis for years. The only way you'll know is to try it. Weigh the risk(cost of shipping) vs. the reward(a great sounding receiver) .

This all said however, Outlaw is far from alone in complaints about adjusting the volume with the remote. I've read complaints about most brands that use this type of control. That's why I like linear controls so much, but few stereo amps(Music Hall A25.2 is one) and receivers use them, mostly home theater ones.

If you're willing to retrain your brain though, the remote control can be fine to use. I played around with mine last night, and found I had to learn to use sharp taps for small adjustments, not the soft taps like when choosing the source or tuning the tuner. Sometimes you have to use a combo of soft and sharp taps .... like typing morse code. Sometimes you have to raise the volume a little to lower it where you want it, using various taps. It is quite usable.

I have had my 2150 up and running for about a week now and don't see a reason for all this fuss about the volume control; a very light tap on the remote yields a minimal change in the percieved volume level. Go ahead and order the 2150 and give it a try.

I've tested the remote volume with an SPL meter and here's what I've found. Pressing volume up or volume down once yields a change of about 2.5 dB.

I tested using 80 and 125Hz warble tones calibrated to 70 dB with my meter. A press on the volume up or down ALWAYS yielded the same approximate 2.5dB differential for me.

As Dave and others have mentioned, this is a minimally perceptible change.

Obviously, pressing the button for a longer period results in greater movement of the volume control and greater changes in volume, but this is dependent on how long you hold the button down.

I've had my 2150 for about three weeks in a bedroom system and I am extremely happy with its performance. I replaced an Audio Analogue Primo integrated amp which had a motorized volume control and the AA remote volume moved in much wider increments than the Outlaw. I have a much easier time getting the volume I want with the 2150's remote.

Regards,
Tony.

Cool test, palmer - thanks for the info!

I'm glad to hear that button presses on the remote yield volume changes in perceptably even increments.

I'm currently using a DENON DRA-395 which has an electronic (infinitely turnable) volume control. The resolution of volume changes with button presses of the remote with the DENON is 1db. But I suppose that's an advantage of a non-mechanical volume control over an "old school" potentiometer.

I'm not positive about this, but I think it may be that in order to implement an electronic volume control, the signal must first be digitized, and then converted back to analog on the way out. So if a pure analog system is what you want, you must employ a mechanical poteniometer. Maybe someone can confirm whether or not I am full of poop on this one.

I don't know if I read it on this forum or in a review, but someone was lameting the fact that the 2150 did not display its current volume level. That, it seems to me, would also be difficult and/or disruptive to the signal path in a pure analog system.

My understanding is that the position of the RR2150's volume knob indicates the volume level - can any 2150 owners confirm that?