Anyone do a comparison between the Outlaw combo and the Arcam AVR300? I have read that the AVR300 is one of the most impressive sounding units available - even over seperates, etc.
Comments please.
Thank you.
Mark

Arcam makes nice theater receivers. If you've got $$$ and you don't have a lot of space, they just plain work and they sound pretty good. That said, there is no way I'd settle for an Arcam receiver over the 990 plus any decent outboard amp. Until you get into really really big bucks, a theater receiver is always going to skimp on the amp stage both for cost and space considerations.

Cheers,

Read the review on iar-80.com - J Peter states esentially the same thought you just expressed but then goes on to say the AVR300 proved that idea wrong. It sounds like an impressive receiver.

The AVR300 is a nice receiver, and was in my top 3 when looking to upgrade my receiver. But that review is not a credible review. It turned me on to the Arcam, but with reviews (like figure skating) you really need to throw out the high and low scores. I just find it hard to believe a review when it is so overwhelmingly positive and gushing. Not to mention it's 6 pages of the same statements over and over again. Never really read a negative review of the 300, so it's obviously a top notch piece of equipment but it's not "the answer".

Andrew,
J Peter has been around for some time - and I too found it to be over the top positive - my first reaction was to wonder if he had ever tested Outlaw or even Sherwood products - and, if he did, would he say the same things about them? While I'm getting funds together for a purchase, I am researching as much as possible. I hope to bring home the Arcam for review in my own environment this weekend. At that point, I'll know if it is "The Answer" or if I should just continue with plans to buy the 990]7125 combo. I do wish Outlaw had made the power cord detachable on the 7125.

I have an idea....order the 990/7125 combo and do a comparison. Keep the one you like. We all would be terribly curious as to your conclusions.

braidkid,
I had thought about doing that, but I do not have the funds yet. So this weekend, I'm hoping to rent the Arcam and test it. IF, it sounds anything close to the review, I will order the 990/7125 combo ASAP and then rent the Arcam again to do exactly that. I did rent the Sherwood R965 which should have been close to the 990 in sound for 6 channel direct - which was my biggest concern - and it was fairly impressive.

Interestingly enough... almost. My friends and I did a blind test in January with a group of prepros and receivers. We did a comparison. The Arcam 300 blew away every receiver we listened to, it wasn't even close. The Arcam Pre-Pro blew away every Pre-Pro, again without any competition at all. It was just that much better at spacial placement for sound. The imaging was the best I've ever heard for a movie soundtrack. Stunning...

So we decided to see how the Receiver stacked up against the Pre-Pros. Mind you that while the Outlaw 990 was part of the test, the amp used was a Bel Canto unit. This unit costs about 5 times more than the 7125, and is considered to be one of the best amps on the market. It is definately the best digital amp on the market.

The Arcam Receiver held up. It got mixed into the pack with the rest on stereo listening. It did come in last. This wasn't a major last place finish however. I'd say that the 990 and the bunch that came in next to last were only slightly better. Say 10%.

However during movie playback, the Receiver came in 2nd behind the Pre-Pro. However our discovery was that it was only slightly better than the other Pre-Pros. Say again 10%. The Arcam Pre-Pro blew everything out of the water in movie playback. I'd say 25% better if not more. Its really the best I've ever heard movies sound.

So we didn't have a 7125, and there might be some synergy there between the 2 units, that just wasn't there for the Bel Canto.

We believe that Arcam must be using its processor to do something that others aren't. One person at the testing said that they'd heard similar differences with Ayre and Theta Digital. There just must be something going on inside that helps create the spatial differences heard in the imaging.

I'd personally do your own test. However I'm lead to believe that that the Arcam might be the better choice. I seriously doubt the Outlaw amp can compare to the Bel Canto (nor should it, two different markets entirely). So that Arcam might just be better.

The Arcam 300 is the best reviewed receiver in England. No receiver has better reviews over the pond. I remember reading one where the writer said it was better than his reference unit, which was Lexicon's $8,000 monster. The writer said he had a new reference receiver.

I don't know if its that good. Yet I've read a lot of reviews and never have I read where the writer wasn't shocked by how amazing the Arcam unit is.

The biggest problem is that both those units will have to be broken in. They do sound better with age, so the 7125 might not be as broken in as a well used rentable Arcam.

Which Bel Canto unit? I wasn't aware that Bel Canto even manufactured a multi-channel theater amp.

I have listened to Arcam units extensively and I don't see the dramatic difference you're referring to. I've not tried Bel Canto amps, but I have listened to Krell/Pass Labs/Parasound/Tact/Lyndorf and a few others that I'd consider higher end. Granted, the Arcam 300 sounds good, but so does the 990. I wonder if there wasn't some other issue that's being overlooked that influenced the sound so much...

Cheers,

tsd2005,
Thanks for the very interesting comments regarding your testing. I have been auditioning the AVR300 for the last 2 days and I must say I am EXTREMELY impressed with the 2 channel audio. Better than ANY other receiver I have ever heard. I've heard more clarity, stage depth, imaging and detail in these past 2 days than I ever had through most other systems. I look forward to hearing the 990 and possibly comparing it to this same receiver when I do get the Outlaw gear. I'd appreciate any other comments you might have - did you use direct outs in both reciever and Pre/Pro? Did you do any multichannel music?