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#32800 - 01/19/03 03:07 AM Build Quality
Red Dwarf Offline
Deputy Gunslinger

Registered: 01/19/03
Posts: 3
Loc: SoCal
Overall the build quality of the 200-M is good, the only concern I have is that of the floor plate of the amp. I think the weight of the torroidal transformer is a bit too much for the cabinet. It's causing the bottom plate on my amps to bend down if viewed from the back of the amp. At least there's no hiss on mine and all the feet are even. Any comments on this situation would be greatly appreciated.

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#32801 - 01/19/03 12:38 PM Re: Build Quality
jm99 Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 04/28/02
Posts: 33
Mine were shipped UPS, so I looked them over very carefully. I do not see any evidence of bending at the transformer. The bottom sheet is stamped with a recess for the transformer. This should improve the stiffness of the bottom sheet, but maybe the bottom sheet ends up a little twisted from this.

Overall, I agree the build quality is decent for what it is. I can't see getting a bunch of dollars tied up in the chassis for an amp. My two amps really look flawless.

Since everybody asks about hiss, mine is very quiet, and the little bit of hiss (ear at the tweeter) does not vary with input. What is notable is the total lack of any kind of hum component. I am using these with a 750 that exhibits a small amount of hum in my setup. The M200's are plugged into the same circuit and do not hum at all!

As a point of reference, the M200's are attached to NHT VT-2's rated at 88db sensitivity.

The whole thing sounds "marvelous".

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#32802 - 02/02/03 07:17 PM Re: Build Quality
lawdawg Offline
Deputy Gunslinger

Registered: 02/02/03
Posts: 6
Loc: Clute, Texas, USA
Scott emailed me this solution for the wobble:

Place the unit on a flat, even surface. Loosen each of the six screws (three on each side) that hold the top cover on the unit. It only takes a turn or two. Press down on all four corners at the same time (forearms work best). Then retighten the screws.

I had four that wobbled to varying degrees. On three of them, I didn't even need to push down to straighten them out. When I loosened the screws, the weight of the unit was sufficient to flatten it out. On one, I held my left forearm diagonally between the two corners that rocked and retightened the screws with my arm in that position. This has completely stopped any wobble. The units are rock steady now.

It appears that when the thing was assembled, it was either on an uneven surface, or held in some sort of vice that caused a slight warp. When the top was attached, the screws froze the unit in that warped position. But, that's just a guess.

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#32803 - 02/02/03 07:29 PM Re: Build Quality
soundhound Offline
Desperado

Registered: 04/10/02
Posts: 1857
Loc: Gusev Crater, Mars
Glad to hear there's a simple fix - but it is a bit worrysome that this flex happens in the first place. Maybe some beefed-up metalwork would be in order......

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#32804 - 02/03/03 08:35 AM Re: Build Quality
JT Clark Offline
Desperado

Registered: 10/25/02
Posts: 466
Loc: IL
Hmm, this is odd. I don't notice a thing wrong with mine. No flexing or wobbly feet. I hope this doesn't turn into a witch hunt like the 950 hiss did.

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#32805 - 02/03/03 10:21 AM Re: Build Quality
morphsci Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 02/15/02
Posts: 243
Loc: Charleston, IL, USA
I have two and neither wobbles or flexes. No bending of the bottom plate at all. There is a round depression on the bottom that is stamped there for the toroid. Perhaps some have mistaken this for bending? The overall build quality IMO is very good, especially at its price point.

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#32806 - 02/03/03 09:33 PM Re: Build Quality
Red Dwarf Offline
Deputy Gunslinger

Registered: 01/19/03
Posts: 3
Loc: SoCal
Well I bought 3 of them. I only have the bent bottom plate on two of them, I'm thinking maybe UPS dropped the boxes and that may have caused it. The third one is in perfect condition. No sag or wobbleness at all. I'll try to get a picture up so you can better see what I am talking about.

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#32807 - 02/04/03 01:47 PM Re: Build Quality
lawdawg Offline
Deputy Gunslinger

Registered: 02/02/03
Posts: 6
Loc: Clute, Texas, USA
Gee, maybe I should change my handle to "chicken little". After all, from the responses, you must think I unpacked my M-200's, placed them on the first piece of damp plywood I found and pronounced that the sky is falling.

FYI, I recieved 5 M-200's, four wobbled to varying degrees, and in different directions (three from front right to rear left, and one from front left to rear right). I tried all four on my desk a work, my kitchen countertops, and a butcher-block style workbench in the garage. I even carried one to my mother's house and tried it on a glass dining table. Guess what? they wobbled.

I then tried various washers under the feet but became frustrated. I emailed the Outlaw's for help and Scott suggested a particular washer size that they had luck with. A day later, Scott emailed me with the fix that I detailed above. I tried it, and it fixed all four of the offending units. I then searched the entire forum as well as the Tips, Tricks, and Troubleshooting page of the website to see if the fix had already been posted. Then, and only then, did I post the fix to help those who have the wobble.

Ya know...you don't have to be an electrical engineer to tell if somethig wobbles, and four out of five of my units wobbled.

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#32808 - 02/04/03 02:14 PM Re: Build Quality
gonk Offline
Desperado

Registered: 03/21/01
Posts: 14054
Loc: Memphis, TN USA
I hope (and strongly suspect) that some Outlaws have spent a little quality time on the phone to the factory, quizzing them on just why they were tightening down cover screws with warping present in the chassis. I'm also glad that you shared the solution with everybody, lawdawg, even though I don't have any 200's (although I'd like to add a pair eventually to drive my mains, probably in a year or so).

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#32809 - 02/04/03 02:20 PM Re: Build Quality
morphsci Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 02/15/02
Posts: 243
Loc: Charleston, IL, USA
I never doubted that some people had wobbly units. I only posted because rarely do people post when they do not have a problem. This leads to a biased view of the extent of problems. I did question the bending on the underside since I at first thought mine was bending, but it was only the stamping for the toroid.

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