Hey gents,

I've been lurking around the OUtlaw web site for a while now. I'm a HT enthusiast, with strong audiophile tendencies. Over the past year I've been upgrading my ht from a technics/garage sale system to a serious setup. Right now I"m trying to get some general information on the 950 compared to say the Rotel RSP-1066, or the Nad s-100, or the b&k ref 30 (those are the three choices I have from my dealers in the blustery west of ND). I was first considering a straight a-v reciever, untill I heard a pre-amp/amp compo (the NAD Silver Series 100-250 combo), and I was sold on seperates. (I was literally knocked on my butt when I heard the differance in clarity, sound stage, and pure holo-sonic imaging. Blew the Denon 5803 out of the water...but I digress.

Anyone heard these combos, and can coment on the quality of sound? I'm sold on seperates, and I'm realy impressed by what I'm hearing about outlaw. I just need to get some opinions.

-Jason

Welcome aboard!

The 950 vs. 1066 thread below covers the comparison between those two pretty well. I don't think I've seen a direct comparison between the other. Maybe you can do one and post your thoughts??? We always welcome more info.


brianca

Thanks,

I found the thread about 5 minutes after posting. I guess my real question is compairing the NAD S series to the Outlaw. My local dealer is waving a pretty good deal in front of my face. (It's street is 7K, he's quoted me 4K for the set). I liked the Rotel, but felt that the Silver was a little more detailed..at least to me. Then again I was looking at a price jump of $1,500. I've basicly coming from the standpoint of "Yes, it may cost me a grand more, but I dont EVER want to buy another piece of audio equipment for the next ten years."

That's why I'm trying to get a taste of what other people who have tried these combos. I liked the fact that the OUtlaw and Rotel were basically interchangeable sonicaly. That does help alot. The big question is will the Outlaw hold the same ground with the silver, which was a little more...relaxed...to me.

I also listened to a few Mac systems...but

A. they were to expensive, and I cant justify THAT MUCH MONEY on my system
B. The sound, while detailed and seperate, felt a little to...thick to me. The sound and tones were just to "close" to one another.

fmcorps, here is another comparison on another board that also says the about the same thing.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htforum/showthread.php?postid=747118#post747118

Since you posted on the Outlaw Forum, here is just a flattering review of the outlaw that is not on this board either.
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htforum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=69490

I think most will tell you that the outlaw suffers more from not being tweak-able than not sounding good.

Don't know if you knew this or not, but some of the Outlaws are former NAD-ers.

And now, my personal opinion only, I have followed NAD over the years. Great sounding gear, not a lot of features or frills (sound family so far?), but... In terms of recent technology, DD EX, DTS-ES, DPL II, they are behind.

I personally think at this point, Outlaw is the better buy.

B&K Ref 30? I also looked at this one. You'll pay close to $2g for it (although I haven't checked lately), but the reviews that I've seen, say it isn't as "musical" as the latest crop of pre/pros. (Anthem, Rotel, Outlaw, etc.) Also, important for me, don't know for you: The B&K does *not* have DSP modes to "expand" 2.0 through 5.1 sources to 6.1 or 7.1 speaker system.

But in general, I personally do like B&K gear. They make great amps. I would wait and see what the successor to the Ref 30 is.

Yep,

I was aware that some nad heads were onboard. Which was why I was wondering how the two compared sonically. To me the NAD was just a little more preferable to the Rotel combo. But then again, after listening to what I was thinking of picking up (an integra 6.3) and then listening to the seperates of the NAD...it was an eye opener. I went from A-B compairing the NAD and the Rotel. I'm also pleased to hear that sonically the Outlaw holds up with the Anthem (the fourth choice I have here in the great north lands). Unfornatly I cant do a head to head between the Rotel, Anthem, B&K, and NAD, since the they are split between two dealers in town.

What does the 950-770 combo cost after S+H. (I know I wont be getting one for a while...but I like to know the ball park figures when balancing a decision like this.)

It will cost around 2550-2600 if you use regular shipping and about 75 more for overnight if memory serves me correctly.

[This message has been edited by Jed M (edited June 06, 2002).]

Thanks, thats about 500-1500 cheaper then the other combos I'm looking at. Which is quite a few dvd's now that I think about it.

-Jason

Just to set the record straight, the Anthem sounds very different from the Outlaw. I auditioned the Anthem for 4 days before the Outlaw came, I've auditioned the Outlaw for a month, and I've gone back to the Anthem.
I'm not saying the Outlaw is bad, they just sound different. I sold my Outlaw to a family member, it will be an awesome stater piece as we upgrade him from a receiver but the Anthem moves you into a higher class of electronics and sound. You pay more, but you get more (not meaning features as the DPL II and extended DTS formats have not been released yet).
I found the Outlaw to be too revealing and somewhat bright/harsh to my ear. I have used both Maggies (1.6 and 3.3's) and Thiel 3.6's as a basis for evaluation. I found the Anthem to be more relaxed and natural with a slightly larger soundstage. Both units are detailed and do an excellent job of bringing out every little nuance of the music. But I prederred the presentation of the Anthem more. I found that I don't care for the DSP modes of either unit when listening to music, but Outlaws 5/7 channel surround stereo modes are quite respectable. Both units will do equally well for movies, especially when Anthem can match the Outlaws Dolby and DTS functions. I do like Anthems remote better and I do not miss the sound delay DSP issues with Outlaw. Also, I can use my ICBM unit again, the Outlaw 950 and ICBM do not play well together, the sound becomes muddled when you try and run the units together.
Outlaw did a great job delivering an excellent processor for $900. If you want better it's going to cost you considerably more (3K-5K range). To me it was worth the additional money to get the sound I was looking for and less aggravation due to my expectations. And from a sound standpoint, well that is strictly subjective.
Please note: I did not return the Outlaw unit, I kept it in the family where it will be more appreciated for it's capabilities vs. price.

Room 1:

Anthem AVM-20 Pre-Pro
Pioneer Elite DV-47A DVD/SACD/DVD Audio
Sunfire Signature Stereo AMP (2 ch.)
Sunfire Theater Grand Signature AMP (5 ch.)
Outlaw ICBM Unit (Magnepan Edition)
Magnepan 1.6's Mains
Magnepan Center and Rears
Energy Microstar 1500 Watt Sub

Room 2:

Audilble Illusion L1 Preamp (Tube)
Counterpoint SA220 AMP (hybrid Tube)
Magnum Dynalab FT 101A Tuner
Toshiba SD-5109 DVD Player
Theil 3.6 Speakers

Pretty much everyone who has done the head to head on the 950 and 1066 has made the bright vs warm comment about them. I wouldn't say that they are sonically equal. They do sound different, it's just a matter of which sound you prefer.

brianca.