Since most of you will receive this Special Edition of the Outlaw Audio Newsletter during the holiday week, best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving from the Outlaws. Please allow us to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your business and interest in our products throughout the year.
We also realize that your time this busy weekend will be devoted to a variety of activities, so we’ll keep this Newsletter brief. However, as the day after Thanksgiving traditionally marks the start of the “Holiday Shopping Season”, we want to take this opportunity to bring you some hot news about the latest addition to our product offerings.
As those who have been following the Outlaws for a while know, we have always had a strong interest in delivering products that deliver powerful and accurate bass reproduction.
o The Model 1050, our first receiver, offered a choice of six crossover points at a time when other products had only a single, fixed crossover frequency.
o Our first processor, the Model 950, was the first to offer a “triple crossover” so that front, center and surround speakers no longer had to be bound to the same crossover.
o Introduced over four years ago, the unique Outlaw ICBM (Integrated Controlled Bass Manager) remains the de facto reference standard for analog bass management to properly integrate DVD-Audio and SACD players into home theater systems. Acclaimed by reviewers and used by professionals for their own evaluation studios, the ICBM has become so well accepted that it is readily identified by its ICBM name as the preferred bass management system without the need to refer to our Outlaw brand name.
o Our new Model 990 Processor is one of the few processors, and by far the most affordable to offer a four-way crossover so that “main” and “back” surrounds can each have their own crossover frequencies, along with separately selectable crossovers for the front left/right and center speakers.
o The breakthrough Model 1070 receiver is the first 7.1 receiver to offer a choice of full, four-way, digital bass management, fixed analog bass management or complete bypass for the “7.1 direct” analog inputs.
o Most recently, our RR 2150 “RetroReceiver” is the first and ONLY stereo receiver to include built-in, selectable analog bass management for the subwoofer output.
Having provided the products that optimize the utilization and routing of bass frequencies we were able to help listeners overcome the inadequacies in source products such as DVD-A players with no, or poor, bass management. Our powered subwoofers, the LFM-1 and the LFM-2 then made tight, accurate bass something that everyone could afford.
Unfortunately, one barrier still remains in many home theater environments: the challenge of overcoming bass reproduction problems caused by the listening room itself. To solve those problems we first looked at developing our own external EQ system. However, it quickly became obvious that our resources were best devoted to other new products. We then examined virtually every available system from internal room EQ software to external EQ systems. Although there are a number of good approaches, the one system that has always risen to the top in both our own evaluations as well as those of respected reviewers and acoustic experts is Velodyne’s SMS-1.
In head-to-head tests, the SMS-1 was the hands-down winner in more ways than one. It is flexible, yet easy to install and calibrate with any subwoofer. Simply place the precision microphone that comes with the system in your favorite listening position and then connect it to the SMS-1. Next, connect the SMS-1’s video output to an open input on your receiver or surround processor so that it may be routed to your video display. From there, it’s all automatic! Just press the button for “auto-setup” and watch the show as the graphic display measures room conditions and then corrects for bass problems and optimizes response.
With eight bands of digital parametric equalization the SMS-1 vastly improves any listening room or home theater. It also handles up to three different subs simultaneously, making it a piece of cake to squeeze every last bit of performance from any subwoofer configuration you could throw at it, including our LFM double sub combos.
The difference in overall sonic presentation made possible by this product is no less than astounding! (Of course we’re biased and will say that it performs even better when used with our own LFM products) Perhaps the best way to explain just how much improvement the SMS-1 makes in a system is to say that after some in-home testing, Outlaw Scott refused to take it out of his system and return it to the office without a huge bribe and some significant threats from the rest of the Outlaws.
After determining that the SMS-1 was the way to go we approached our friends at Velodyne about the possibility of designing a customized version for sale by the Outlaws. However, it soon became apparent that there just wasn’t anything that could be improved and that it would take over a year to even attempt to develop a new product based on the SMS-1. It then occurred to both Velodyne and the Outlaws: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, or put simply, why mess with success?
The end result of these discussions is that we have decided to break our normal rule of developing and designing products strictly for our own use and arrange a first for both Velodyne and Outlaw. Velodyne has agreed to allow us to offer the SMS-1 to our customers through the Internet, and for the first time ever; Outlaw will now offer a product from another company. For those who will ask, yes we do compete with Velodyne when it comes to speaker products. However, we have always had the highest respect for their products and their integrity in the marketplace. On Velodyne’s part they also admire what we have done at Outlaw. And for the very curious, yes, they have also evaluated our subs. Let’s just say there is a lot of mutual respect between our respective companies.
Here’s the best part: The SMS-1 will be available from Outlaw Audio as a stand-alone product at $599. Even better, we will offer special Outlaw LFM/Velodyne SMS-1 combination packages that make it even easier to add the finest external subwoofer management product in the marketplace to your system at an incredible price:
o LFM-1 subwoofer plus SMS-1: $1,129, a $50 saving over the individual prices
o Two LFM-1 subwoofers plus SMS-1: $1,498, a $100 saving over the individual prices
o One LFM-2 subwoofer plus SMS-1: $849, a $50 saving over the individual prices
o Two LFM-2 subwoofers plus SMS-1: $1,074, a $75 saving over the individual prices
o One LFM-1, one LFM-2 and an SMS-1: $1,324, a $75 saving over the individual prices
To make this an even better value, and to further improve the performance of your subwoofer, add one or two of our PCA subwoofer cables with an SMS-1 purchase and we’ll take 50% off the price of the cables!
As always, there are a few things to note when ordering a subwoofer/SMS-1 combination:
o If you decide to return the subwoofer and keep the SMS-1, you will be billed for the SMS-1 at the $599 price and credited for the remaining balance.
o If you have purchased any of our subwoofers within the past 30 days, and wish to add an SMS-1 to your system you will be billed the difference between the combo price shown above and the amount paid for the subwoofer.
As a special “Outlaw Family” offer, if you have ever purchased either an LFM-1 or LFM-2 but are now outside the 30-day audition window, you may still benefit from the purchase of an SMS-1 in a way beyond the increased sonic performance for your audio system. Provide the serial number of your LFM-1 or LFM-2 when you order your SMS-1 and we will send you the difference between the price paid for your sub (freight excluded) and the combo price shown above in “Outlaw Bucks”. The Outlaw Bucks will be good for one year towards the purchase of any Outlaw Audio product.
Complete specs on the SMS-1 are available on our web site at
http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/sms1.html or check for yourself in the reviews that have appeared in the leading audio and home theater publications and web sites. Of course, as always, the best place to audition any product made or sold by the Outlaws is in your own home. When purchased through Outlaw Audio, the SMS-1 is available with our 30-day in-home satisfaction guarantee.
If you have been looking for the best way to wring the last bit of performance out of your total home audio system, you need wait (or save up!) no longer. This special arrangement with Velodyne lets you order the SMS-1 through Outlaw and lets you change the words of a holiday favorite so that you’ll be singing “There’s no BASS like home for the holidays!”.
That’s it for now, but as we said in our Fall Newsletters, things are “Falling Into Place”. Our line-up is almost complete, but there may still be additional (and, if we may say so, VERY exciting) new product announcements before the holiday season begins for products that will still ship this year. We’ll also have more information shortly on the Model 7500 and Model 7700 amplifiers announced in our last newsletter. (Remember, you can take advantage of our Model 7125 to Model 7500 or Model 7700 “trade-up” offer until the first new amplifiers ship.)
That’s all for now, but keep watching for more surprises from the Outlaws!
Regards, and Happy Thanksgiving!
The Outlaws