Hello Outlaws,

I am seriously contemplating adding an Outlaw 7100 amp to my HT/Music system. I am currently using a Yamaha RXV-2200 receiver as the "main" unit. Although I have been "fairly" pleased with its performance (power rated at 100x6@8ohms), I recently moved to a new house and my family room is pretty large. In addition, the "Yammie" receiver tends to be a little "bright" at times. So, I am thinking about using an Outlaw 7100 amp to drive my speakers (Paradigm Monitor Series) and use the Yamaha receiver as a pre/pro unit.

Will I gain a significant improvement in sound using the Outlaw 7100 amp? Will this amp help smooth-out some of the Yamaha's brightness?

Thanks,

Luis32

I reviewed a 7100 with a Yamaha DSP-A1. I expect that you will notice a positive difference in power output and control at moderate to high volume levels in your larger room by adding the 7100. However, I would not expect to hear a warmer tone.

-avi

Yes, the difference between the timbre of amps is very slight. Your pre-amp (or in this case, your receiver) will make a much larger contribution to the quality of the sound than will your amplifier.

Jeff

P.S. Avi, man, when are we getting together??

Luis 32,
I had the same situation recently. I bought an ADCOM 7700 5 channel amp and continuted to use my Denon 3600 receiver as a pre-pro. (BTW, I became friends with some people at a local hi-fi store and felt it was important to support him this time) The was a difference in dynamic range and depth, however, there was no comparison to the difference it made to use the 950 pre-pro I got this week. I echo D'Arbignal's opinion on this, the pre-pro produces a greater difference than the amp. Good Luck!

Thanks for your feedback guys...

I went ahead and ordered the Model 7100 amp about 2 weeks ago. Guys, it made a noticeable difference on the bass and midrange. Although, the Paradigm Monitor 9 v2 are very efficient (91Db sensitivity...), they can play very low bass in the 30Hz to 40 Hz region. The Yamaha receiver (on its own...) drove this speakers pretty well, but the Model 7100 has much better control and tonality when the bass goes low. The midrange has also improved noticeably. However, the smallest improvement was on the highs (as you guys told me...). Although not as "crisp" as with the Yamaha during two-channel Stereo playback, I still felt there was room for improvement. So, out of the blue, I decided to try switching the speaker cables which are UltraLink Excelsior 10ft biwire pair. So, I tried out the Analysis Plus Clear Oval biwire cables I have on my second system and "presto"... The cables (of all things...) made a noticeable difference on the highs (warmer...) while the bass and midrange remained as good...

So there you have it... I must say I am very, very pleased with the Model 7100. Is more efficient than the "onboard" discrete amps on the Yamaha receiver. Is well-built and runs "cool".

-Luis