Well, would you look at that... Not only are there product pages for the 7500 and 7700 on Outlaw's site, but there's even been a change to the layout of the order page that shows both amps for sale. It looks like they really are close to shipping these puppies.

Both the 7500 and 7700 list maximum power consumption at 1800W. How is that possible?

The 755 and 770 were rated the same way - that's the maximum power that they can theoretically receive from the standard residential 15A circuit.

gonk: the circuits in my house are wired at 20A. Why? Who knows, but they are.

I am very interested in the 7500. I just bought an Onkyo 703 and plan to use it as a pre/pro.

Why didn't I buy one of the Outlaw's pre/pros? I just couldn't convince myself that there was more value with the Outlaw. Considering all the features, they really was not much of a comparison. I got the Onkyo for $600, shipped free.

Now, for the amps, I can't wait for some reviews!!!!

Rat:

I think you sold yourself short on the pre.

As far as the power ratings are concerned, I really really don't understand what Outlaw is doing. If they are claiming that that amps can only draw X because X lies within what a typical 15A circuit can provide, I wish that would be conveyed clearly. Am I to understand if you have 20A or 30A available that the amp will happily gobble it up and feed it to your speakers?

Cheers,

Ritz: I have been looking at receivers and pre/pros for over a year now. I have carefully studied all the performance specifications. I have read numerous professional and user reviews and comments.

Quite frankly I believe all the comments about something being warm, bright, etc. is just so much BS. If you believe the specifications on frequency spectrum and THD, there is NO engineering way that one can be warmer or brighter or more neutral than any other unless there is something going on in the digital signal processing.

Then for the digital processing, we have the specifications for Dolby Digital, THX, and other certification. If you believe the manufacturer specifications that they meet certification then there is no difference there, either.

The ONLY difference I can find is in the power supply as to whether ALL channels can be driven simultaneously. Most receivers can not do this. Most receivers suffer from this. That's why I am going to use the Onkyo as a pre/ pro and get some "honkin" amps.

I also believe the notion that you should do video switching and conversion in your audio gear to be wrong. Do your audio stuff in your audio gear, and, do your video stuff in your video gear. I have a new Sony SXRD and a OPPO DVD, I don't need my audio gear to do anything with video signals.

After over a year of looking, I have some pretty strong opinions.

Hey, we've all got our opinions. I'm sure some of mine aren't so popular either. My background is as a studio engineer and EE wannabe (switched to economics/finance so I could actually find at job after the Reagan years). I have not heard a receiver of any brand that I think compares to the 990 until you get to the range of 2-3 times the price of the 990.

Cheers,

I used to own the Denon 5800 receiver which was 5 times the price of the 990 after upgrading the 5800. I realize it is an older unit, but what has changed in DD/DTS decoding? The algorithms are still the same. The 5800 does not even come close to the 990.

Ratpack,

While I am not familiar with the Onkyo 703, I used to have a Yamaha 2500 used as a pre/pro and went to the 990. There was a big difference in performance. More of my thoughts/comparisons can be found here:

http://processors.dblattman.com

I wish they all could sound the same(as long as it was good),if you've owned enough gear you'll know there are many factors in"good sound".It's no accident and its not "standards"its the mfr.design/process and quality of parts used that make the sound.I've personally never heard two prepro or avr units that sounded the same,even from the same company when at different price levels.

You'll never know what a good amp sounds like without a decent pre/pro(even if its one in a avr),but they are not created equal,all imo.

I agree with Ritz, doug and edzepplin. My background is the opposite of ritz, I'm an EE and a wannaba studio engineer. As a hobby I do some recording but I mostly do sound restorations (Reel to reel, LP's etc.). Specifications unfortunately do not convey how something will sound. Too many factors involved not to mention how all those factors interact. As basic as an amplifier is, I have never heard 2 sound the same. They interct with the load (speaker), the source, the power supply, even what temperature it is running at.
The problem is also compounded by the fact that the specifications change depending on how they are measured. An amplifier will sound different at 1W, 10W and 100W. What specifications do tell us is that the product is designed to meet the need. Great specifications are a start. Then its up to preference. Its sort of like a car, its in the driving, not just the engine, or tires, or shocks, etc. etc.
Just my 2 cents.