Dan,

Dynaudio speakers were used. Please see the previous post.

Regards,
Santa Clara Jim

Jim,

While there are sonic differences between the Anthem AVM20 and the Outlaw 950 (and the Outlaw 950 may have some QA problems), the differences between the AVM20 and the Outlaw 950 (or for that matter, differences within the Outlaw 950 due to QA problems), should pale in comparison to the sonic differences between the 950 and your 26 year old solid state integrated amplifier.

I am reasonably sure that if you brought home an Anthem and put it in your system, like you did with your 950, you would hear something very close to what you heard with the 950/770 in your system, rather than what you heard with your 26 year old integrated amp in your system.

As I mentioned previously, speaker placement may have to change in order to get a good soundstage when switching from your 26 year old integrated amp to a modern pre/pro. Also if you have a poor CD player or cables, the 950 could reveal problems not revealed with the 26 year old integrated amp.

Lastly, it is possible that you may have a lousy 950 and a replacement may solve the problem you hear.



I hope someone comes forward in your area, so that you can hear what a properly set up 950 can sound like. If you ever are in the Los Angeles area, I would be pleased to let you hear my set up.

Will

In another thread, I measured Will's and my 950 for noise, using a lab AC db meter. The results varied more than I expected from his to mine. That alone points to some issue of a QC nature, and if I were asked to point a finger at the cause, my best guess would be unacceptable variation in some ICs noise spec.

Why is the age of the amp important? It gets mentioned very often, so I'm asking?

It's more the age of the pre/amp. He has an integrated amp which is a combination amp and pre/amp. It's like a receiver but without the tuner. It was made a long time ago, before they were designed for subwoofers, etc.

I was alive then......wow, you make me feel OLD...

Soundhound,

I was around, too. I know how you feel.

As for the quality of the old amp, the old HKs seem to sound quite warm and full.

Just my opinion. I had hoped that the Outlaw 950/770 would sound better.

regards,
Santa Clara Jim

If the new Anthem sounds closer to your 26 year old integrated than the 950, something's probably seriously wrong.

I hope you have the chance someday, to hear a properly set up 950, in someone's home.

I think if you got the Anthem combo and hooked it into your system the same way you hooked the 950/770, you'd hear practically the same thing you heard with the 950/770 in your system. They should sound a little different, but not that different. Not compared to the difference between either of them, and your 26 year old integrated amp. At least, that's what I would expect. Unless you have a particularly bad 950 on your hands (and they do have QA problems).

Good luck!

Will

[This message has been edited by Will (edited October 03, 2002).]

Request a swap if you're unhappy with the present audio quality of the 950.

If your direct analog 2-channel input sounds bad on the 950, you must have something seriously wrong with the 950.

So if the old integrated amp is used on an analog stereo source (a CD player for instance) with a pair of capable speakers, and the 950/770 used the same way, what huge techological leap would obsolete the integrated amp?

I'm still scratching my head on this one, sorry.