Gentlemen,

I'm a first time poster, long time reader. I've decided to pawn my Denon 3803 receiver and take the plunge into the world of separates. Outlaw appears to be the best choice for me. I was ready to pull the trigger on the 950 and the announcement of the 990 came out. I continued doing my homework on other brands(Anthem, used Proceeds, Rotel and the likes)I loved the classy looks of Rotel gear, but was a little disappointed when I was able to do a side by side comparison between a Rotel 1068+1075 amp and a Denon 3805. The Rotel gear sounded really good, but surprisingly, the Denon held it's own. I've also dilligently followed all the posts and info on the Outlaw 990. While it may not be as pretty as a Rotel, I suspect when it comes to what matters most - the sound and value for great sound, the Outlaw would whip it.

So, I got on the 990 waiting list 7-June; I'm sure it will be a while before my turn arrives. When it does, I will be teaming the 990 with an Outlaw 755 amp.

My questions are:
1. Has anyone been able to compare a 990 to Rotel gear yet? I think I read the old 950 was considered sonically superior.

2. Is anyone using the 990/755 or similar combo with Klipsch reference series setups?

Thanks in advance to any advice I get.

1. Not that I've heard about. The closest I've come is having some experience with a co-worker's RSP-1068 and RMB-1075 (driving B&W speakers) and comparing it to my system. I'm one of the people who found the Rotel to be harsher sounding than the 950. In light of my experience with the 990, I would suspect that most people would prefer the 990 over the 1068.

2. Since the 990 is still pretty new, it may be hard to find folks using the same speakers you have. A search of the forum using "990 Klipsch Reference" returned only this thread. Searching on "990 Klipsch" turned up a couple other threads, including this one with some mention of Klipsch being used with a 990/7100 setup. Maybe your question will uncover some new information, though.

I have a 990/7100 combo with Klipsch RF-7/RC-7 front speakers, a HSU sub, and a soon to be replaced set of old Boston Acoustic surrounds.

The 990 sounds great through these speakers. With digital inputs I notice a much better soundstage and imaging with the 990 versus the 950.

For music and movies, I use my Denon 3910 dvd player and its analog outputs into the 990, bypassing any processing. This setup sounds just as good as the 950 did to me.

Rick

Thanks guys! Both replies helped.

I asked those questions because I had a fleeting and crazy thought of upgrading speakers to something with a little more "snob factor" than Klipsch. You know, those Ref series might not do the Outlaw justice...Now, I think I'd be crazy too waste the money. The Klipsch ref series still outclass many speakers costing twice as much. Beside, if I don't like the results after moving to Outlaw gear, I can switch at that time.

I too use a Denon 3910 DVD player. I'll definately try using the analog outputs with the 990.

Much appreciated!

I'm running the 990/770 with a mix of Klipsch RF3/RF3IIS in a 7.1 config RF3x2, RC3II, RS3x2, RS3IIx2, with an SVS 20-39+.

It sounds great! Sounds a bit richer over the 950 (my wifes likes it better too).

I'm looking to upgrade soon and the RF7s are first on my list to audition.

K-Man,

If you go the analog out route from your 3910, things get a little tricky. The 990 wants to use its digital bass managment even on the 7.1 Inputs. In order to avoid this extra A/D conversion you have to set your speakers to LARGE on the 990. This will allow a true analog bypass.

Or conversely, if you want the 990 to go ahead and digitally bass manage the 3910's audio, make sure you set the 3910 to Source Direct and its speakers set to LARGE, and then keep the 990's speakers set to Small, and whatever crossover points you like.

I've tested both and prefer to keep the A/D conversions to a minimum and preserve the sound as-is straight out of the 3910. So I leave the 990 set to LARGE, and have the 3910 do all the bass management instead.

The kicker is that setting the speakers from SMALL to LARGE on the 990 affects ALL of its inputs, digital or analog. This is something I hope the Outlaws fix in a future upgrade with a simple BYPASS feature for the 7.1 Inputs.

Rick

I used to use Klipsch Reference with my 950 and I basically had no complaints. I have since then upgraded to Onix Reference (can't stay away from the reference I guess ) but for the price I have nothing negative to say about the Klipsch. I think you will be very pleased with the Outlaw/Klipsch combo.

Rick,

Thanks for the info on setting the base mgmt. of the 3910 with the 990. It sounds like I will have plenty to tweak once I actually get the 990.

Based on everyone's responses, I think the Klipsch references will REALLY come alive pushing them with the 990 and a 755.

I just built a new house with a dedicated home theater in the basement which is slightly bigger and acoustically much better (less lively reflections) than in my previous house. One thing that became immediately apparent was the Denon 3803 receiver needed to be pushed harder to achieve the same sound levels.

Anyway, it’s got great potential and I’m dying to get my hands on Outlaw gear.

Thanks again!