Hello Everyone

I just received the 990/7125 combo two days ago. The highs and mids are incredible! However, I seem to be lacking mid bass. For instance, watching a concert DVD, I lack some of the bass player, and drive behind the guitar. The drums thump tremendously. I have OHM micros for front L&R, Ohm center, Ohm satellites, and the Ohm dual subwoofer. I have crossover at 60 for C,Land R, and at 100 for sats. All speakers are set at small, with Y for subwoofer. I have the sub set at 60, low pass is on, and the sub is connected directly to the 990. I spoke to Steven at outlaw and he recommended the 60 crossover with speakers at small. Am I missing something? Thanks

First, disable the sub's crossover (or set it as high as possible of there's no way to disable it) - you have overlapping crossovers at 60Hz, and that's creating a dip in frequency response. If that doesn't work, we can look at the frequency response for your front speakers and see if they need to be adjusted upward.

Stupid question-disabling the subs crossover? Is that switching to bypass on or off? Remember you are talking to a child driving a corvette

I found Ohm's site, and I really wish they'd have some more info about their equipment on there - specifically, a manual for the sub or at least a good picture of the amp. Anyway, look for a switch on the sub's amp that's labeled "Crossover" or "X-Over" and offers options like "Active" and "Bypass." Set that switch to "bypass" or whatever is similar - this will take the sub's crossover out of the equation, as is appropriate for a system with a processor that has bass management.

Also, I found some info on your speakers frequency response and I agree with Steve's figures. You might play with bumping the center crossover to 100Hz and see what you think, but that'd be about it.

Thanks Gonk

It helped a little. I will have to listen to various sources over the weekend to determine if I want to keep the Outlaw equipment. It just seems to be lacking "warmth". Hopefully I can find it. Have you heard similar responses? Is there anything else I might be able to tweak?

I like my 990 (now driving an Adcom GFA535) and have no intention of changing it, but agree that it lacks a certain "warmth", especially compared in memory with my long-gone Dynakit tube gear. Actually I still have my old Stereo 70 but it needs servicing. Has anybody tried driving a tube amplifier with the 990?

A lot of research was performed back in the 'old days' when solid state equipment began making its mark in the hi-fi world. 'Warm' and 'cold or hard' sound had everything to do with the way output tubes and transistors responded to input signals, especially as they neared saturation. When driven near clipping tubes and transistors sound very different. Also, transit times inside vacuum tubes and transistors are radically different. Does this make a huge difference at audio frequencies? Well...some people believe it does. If they truly believe tube sound is superior that's the equipment they should be using.

Frankly, I believe that if you enjoy playing music or home theater at high volume levels you should be paying more attention to headroom. This philosophy works for me but will not for others.

I liken all this to the way food is presented on your plate. For most people a nice presentation somehow seems to make the food taste better. For other people it makes no difference. If everyone was blindfolded the presentation wouldn't matter. All that would matter is the taste and texture. More wine?

I believe our preconceptions about our equipment choices has a lot to do with what we 'hear'. And that's perfectly okay as long as we don't try to push our beliefs onto others. I am NOT switching from Outlaw to Krell. Don't even try to talk me into it. I'm too poor to even consider it.

Like Squaken, I found using the 990's Dac,s fell a bit short in bass while in stereo as compared to my CD players Dacs.Yet the 990 Dacs did a better job with high's.
Now after 3 weeks of getting used to the 990 I don't notice it.I usualy listen in "Upsample" where it seems to boost bass vs the stereo mode.
I have decided to keep the 990. It has taken awhile to tailor the 990 to my personel preferences, but I have.
Like some, I was flustered trying to get everything just right.Comming from 15 years of using HK recievers and remotes, I found the 990 menu's not so friendly.I also have a Denon which is so complicated for me,(2nd system) I simply gave up on it.Now I swing through the menu on the 990 with the greatest of ease.
If movies were my main concern, the 990 would have been returned, not because it doesn't do a good job, it doesn't do it all that much better than the HK.It is however my passion for music that sets the 990 apart.I'm keeping the 990 with no reservations.

Hi BIll O

The 990 is growing on me too. I have done some tweaking, and expect that I will continue to do so. I was curious as to what you did (besides upsampling) to bring in the bass?

Hi squawken,
For what ever reason, I went bach into speaker set up. I switched from "small to large" then back to small. It helped, why, I have no idea.I am still not able to get as much bass as with the cd's dacs, but the 990's have more punch, not as colored.
With " Bypass, Upsampling, 7 channel, 5 channel or any of the other surround modes, theres little difference.

Thanks Bill O

I played around tonight. I'm going against convention here in the Saloon, but I have my fronts at large, and use the subwoofer in stereo for listening to music. While listening I would flip back and forth from small to large, and didn't seem to sacrifice too much in the high or mid ranges in my personal trade-off for desire for bass and drive.

It's only a little unconventional - and the company is called "Outlaw" so folks around here aren't likely to object to doing things a little differently from time to time. If "large" works best with you (with the sub set to either "on" or "L/R+Sub"), then go with it!