My 1st post here

trying to decide between the RR2150 and NAD C720 BEE

Outlaw RR2150:


Pros:

simple bass managment/x-over selectable etc a big Pro, that one.
most wpc in my choice range
front mp3 jack (not critical)
detachable power cord.
USB (not critical)
separate headphone vol control.
Cons:
can only afford B stock for about $549 shipped.
hear bad things about vol knob and source being iffy.
QC issues?
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NAD C720 BEE:


Pros:
Lower Price, even for new.
great reputation; established company.
never heard of ANY QC issues.
50 wpc can be a lot more, AFAIK.
soft clipping
Cons:
power cord attached permanently.
"only" 50 wpc ?

can get it new for about $480 shipped.
about $450 refurb'd.

so i need to hear from you guys who have heard/owned both these receivers. SQ is my main concern, and good power. However, please be honest about the Outlaw QC issues...how much do they really bother you?
Thanks.

I can offer a thought or two about the cons on the RR2150. First, B-stock is generally not going to be a bad thing, as the quality seems to be indistinquishable from A-stock and the warranty is the same. Second, the volume knob may or may not bug you - it bugs some folks a bit, but others don't mind it. Third, I don't think I've heard of any quality control issues aside from some hiccups when they changed factories a while back, and that was all sorted out at that time.

What speakers would you be pairing with either receiver?

Seconded. I wouldn't consider the volume- or source-knobs "quality-control issues," either; like 'em or not, they're part of the design. Neither bothers me.

I've never owned a NAD C720BEE, but as I've written here before, I actually passed on one at an audio shop back when I was looking for a new receiver. The salesman thought I should go for more watts and, weirdly enough in hindsight, mentioned the Outlaw while offering me a deal on a higher-powered Marantz demo. I haven't looked back. Budget-wise I wish I could've waited for a B-stock, but at this point it's really no biggie.

Onix x-ls (classic) and x-sub

The source knob is fidgity, but it in no way hinders the performance or audio qualities found on the 2150. As for the volume knob, using the remote control is not the most ideal way to go about adjusting the volume if you need an ever so slight adjustment, but I find it to be only a slight inconvenience rather than a total turn off, really.

It's good qualities far outweigh those two minor things IMO. I've heard that NAD in a Harvey Electronics store, and found that it was decent for the price, but tonally speaking, I think that the Outlaw sounds a bit more musical, especially in the mid range. I found the mids to be a tad flat on the NAD.

The NAD wasn't a slouch though, by any means, I just prefer the 2150's sound signature.

doug

If you're going to really crank 'em up, you may want the 2150's extra power. I've got the X-LS classics in my setup, as I think you've already noticed, and they have paired up nicely. With an X-Sub in the mix, having the 2150's bass management would be handy - I'd start out setting it at 80Hz, as 60Hz is a bit closer to the -3dB point of 55Hz than I'd like (although you could certainly try 60Hz, as well).

Washburn,

I used to own an NAD L53 before I purchased the RR2150 and the sound quality is not even in the same ballpark. The L53 is a notch down from the C720BEE though. Personally, I find the NAD sound has strong bass, rolled-off highs and forward vocals. NAD seems geared towards sounding good at loud volumes. The Outlaw sound, to me, is much more refined.

Using the remote to control the volume is annoying. I used to have an H/K AVR30 receiver with a motorized volume control and it was nowhere near as sloppy as the RR2150. You can get used to it by using very short taps of the volume buttons (or get a universal remote like I did which can be adjusted to minimize this problem), but if your significant other has less patience it *is* going to be fustrating.

The source selection does sometimes miss the next input if you turn it too quickly, however I generally use the remote to select the source anyway.

I've owned my RR2150 (which was a B-stock) for several months now with no problems whatsoever. The sound quality is excellent, there is zero background noise, hum etc. You may want to have a look over at www.audioreview.com as well, there are a few reviews of the RR2150 over there.

-John

Thanks for your reply.
I can certainly understand the fact that the vol and source knob bothering different people to different extents, BUT:
how can this be a "part of the design"? you mean they designed it on purpose in such a way that the vol knob will have play and the source knob misses the sources selected? I would think this is a failure or an error in the design/construction, but I don't understand how this can be explained as part of design.

all that said, I'm one who value SQ more than anything else, so it's probably not gonna bother me much either...I'm leaning heavily towards ordering a B stock right now..
But I will not try to make it better by saying that it isn't a flaw in the design/parts. it is just that. Learning to live with it is what should be done, but not make it look like it was intended that way.
I probably read all the professional and non professional reviews available online now...none of them thought these 2 flaws mattered enough to not own the amp. But none of them thought it was normal in any way either.

Not trying to paint a rosy picture, Washburn. You'll have to ask an Outlaw designer for the logic behind each function, but since the RR 2150s keep rolling off the assembly line that way I have no choice but to interpret them as elements in the design. By contrast, for example, a small number of the first units that were shipped after Outlaw changed factories had a bit of voltage leakage that caused the display to flicker ever so slightly in "standby" mode. Outlaw found out about it and immediately offered to correct it because that was not part of the design. As a result, the display is not an issue that anyone who's purchased an A- or B-stock in the last year has encountered. For me, the equation is simple: Whatever's part of the design stays in, while what's not gets corrected.

Thanks for the response, TruBlu,
so you don't think oulaw remedied that because it was a small number, and that they didn't do anything about the vol/source knobs because ALL the units are affected by that?
Just wondering honestly.