AV7005 < < COMING SOON ! ! > > Networking AV Preamp/Processor | $1,499.99

http://us.marantz.com/Products/3255.asp

I assume Outlaw will sell these if they come out before the 978? It's significantly cheaper than the AV8003 at $2,599 but seems to have a nice feature set. Who knows how long "Coming Soon" is though...

I mentioned this on another thread in that, ironically, the company(Marantz)whose products Outlaw is currently offering for purchase, no matter how you slice it, this new AV7005 is a unit at its price level and feature set could be the stiffest competition yet for the new Outlaw Pre-Pro(whatever it eventually might be).

For all we know, it could be the same unit produced in the same factory in China.

Not from what I can tell. First, the rear panel pics of the AV7005 I've seen indicate that it's made in Japan.

I will take Peter at his word that the 978 is (paraphrasing) an Outlaw exclusive and consequently the AV7005 are not the same products. Having said that, I don't recall Outlaw announcing where the 978/998's will be built. Given the prior relationship between Outlaw and D&M Holdings (including Snell) it would not surprise me if there was some synergy.

I really doubt that Outlaw's going to re-badge a Marantz, for a variety of reasons (not least of which is the fact that Marantz would need to authorize such a thing).

With the current partnership between Outlaw and Marantz (D and M Holdings), one has to wonder which company will be manufacturing the 998/978. It would appear the Marantz (and Denon) both have some good products with a wide variety of prices/features. I don't believe Outlaw will rebadge the 7005, but I think that the partnership will extend beyond just selling Marantz products. I am just speculating based on the preliminary pictures and the current partnership. But on a forum I can speculate on anything (within reason anyways).

Keep in mind that the partnership to sell the SR5005 doesn't have to have any connection with the Model 978/998 development. Marantz maintains a broad dealer network (that's the only way they have to deliver products to consumers) and there's no indication that Outlaw's connection to Marantz for these products is anything other than an extension of that dealer network.

Point taken. I was thinking of the larger company - D and M Holdings. I am assuming, somewhere, they have the capability of manufacturing. But again, just some fun speculation.

D&M Holdings may have manufacturing resources, but it probably varies from one subsidiary to another. Snell had US manufacturing facilities, for example, but those facilities existed prior to D&M buying Snell. I don't know that Denon or Marantz own the factories that build their disc players and receivers.