Hi Outlaws,

I have come to a crossroads with my current HT/Music setup and am itching to upgrade. My budget will allow me to spend about $3K for any upgrades I choose to pursue.

My current system is this:
All Polk speakers (except sub)
2 Rti8 fronts
1 CSi5 center
2 Rti6 surround
2 Rti4 surround rear
1 Mirage Omni12 Sub
All powered and controlled with an HK AVR 435.

It sounds pretty good but I'm missing some clarity and impact. I feel there is some dynamics I'm not tapping into. I'm looking for some... WOW that sounds great reactions....

My room is roughly 3700 cubic feet in a finished basement with carpeting and furnishings. I like to listen to music and movies at moderate to loud levels (moderate when the fiancee is around :-)

Here are my current thoughts.....

1. Get the 990/7700 combo and see how it makes my current Polk speakers sound. Maybe after they get some good juice and clean processing they will sound more to my liking.

2. Upgrade the speakers to the Axiom Epic 80 (minus the EP600 since I already have a capable sub and the price pushes me over the budget)I would be forced to keep the HK doing all the work but a customer service rep at Axiom told me the HK would be sufficient to drive the load.

3. Get the 7125 for extra oomph on all the polks and round out the bottom with an Axiom EP600 or comprable sub.


Any thoughts, suggestions, experience with this would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!

Polks have a pretty loyal following - but they also tend to like a good bit of power behind them. The 990/7700 would probably be a very enjoyable upgrade, especially moving from the AVR435. I'm not sure how the Polks compare to the Epic 80 package to know how that option would compare (and I'm probably a bit biased by my fondness for my 990 and Outlaw amps ).

I would look at option one first. Upgrade your processing, bass management, and amplifier. This will improve the performance of the current speaker setup you have now. The Polks you are using seem to be mid-size or small, with the exception of the fronts which are more or less a large bookshelf in a floor standing cabinet. Your current setup of course would benefit greatly by using a seprate amp to drive it. Once you have the processing and amplification you want it will be easier to upgrade the speakers if you choose too.

I would have to agree with gonk. start with the 990/7700 combo. You will be shocked by the difference in audio quality. If you want to change you can do that later down the road. Usually changing to good clean power is the way to start.

Thanks for the responses everyone! I love this forum...been reading plenty of helpful tips in here.

I was watching U571 tonight just dreaming about what this movie will sound like with 200 watts per channel and clean processing to drive it home!!

The consensus is to go with the Outlaw gear and see how it sounds. It makes sense to me....I can always upgrade the speakers later when I have some extra cash. Plus I will have plenty of power to handle anything I buy down the road. Just so you know, I was leaning that way before I posted...you guys just solidified my decision.

Now, one more question....do any of you connect using the XLR balanced cables? I heard someone here solved a hum problem by using them. It is my understanding that using this method of connection would yield the least amount of signal loss. I don't mind paying the extra $$$ as long as it is going to benefit me in some way...even if that benefit is peace of mind knowing I have this rig connected the best way possible.

Please chime in....thanks again, you guys rock!

Ohhh...ok two more questions.. If I purchase in the next few months, will the 990 already have the software update?

-Yoda-

I haven't tried balanced cables - it's a source of great debate (there are some older threads with some very technical information from some very knowledgeable sources), but there have been some cases reported of balanced cables with the 7500 and 7700 being a very effective way to cope with ground loops.

As for the firmware on a new 990, I'm not sure. A couple months from now, it's very likely that the units being shipped out came from the factory after the firmware was given the Outlaw seal of approval, in which case it'd already have that firmware installed. A call or e-mail to the Outlaws would let you know for sure, of course.

I just received my 990 2 weeks ago, and it did not have the firmware update installed. As Gonk suggests, give Outlaw a call to find out for sure.
******
UMtiger

If nothing else yoda you could try to download the upgrade. If it is the current version it will should tell you so. The guys are right though a phone call is a faster and easier way.

For Technical Support and for Pre-Sales Questions:
866-OUTLAWA (688-5292)

the XLR cables are great. the quality of the outlaw cables are excelent. I have tried my system both woth and without and to me, it makes a difference. Remember that your system will be as good as your worst component. That does not mean that rca connections are bad. XLR Eliminates many headaches for now and down the road. If you want good cables and don't want to pay alot, checkout Bluejeanscable.com. They have excelent cables at really good prices. They are just like outlaw. NO snake oil.

I've liked the Blue Jeans cables I've used (their component and s-video cables, mainly), but Outlaw's cables seem a little heftier to me for whatever that might be worth. Outlaw's also got their PCB's back in stock in a variety of lengths. If you're buying for a multichannel amp, there's only a few dollars in difference between Blue Jeans' balanced cables and the PCB's ($37 a cable for the 1.5-meter five-pack compared to $32 a cable for a 5-foot Blue Jeans with the Canare cable).