Sharkey I share your passion for quality but what Xenonman just said I must agree. UL is just another "standard" that requires money so the product can "join the club" much like THX, which means nothing in the world of hi-end audio quality.

The entire purpose of the UL system, is too assure that products you buy are safe to operate in the home. Petty much like the whole purpose of having the FDA, except that it is not a public institution. Its hardly the same thing as THX.

Now if you think the that UL system is unnecessary and that you can trust the manufacturers then that is fine for you. Personally I worry about buying uninspected products from a country that has a history of making bad and/or counterfeit parts, selling poisoned infant formula, poisoned pet food etc. What do you think Outlaw would do if an RR2150 or 978 caught fire and just destroyed the stack of equipment in rack, besides ask you to prove that it was their piece of equipment that caught fire. Ditto a problem which caused a power amp failure like some have alleged that Emotive equipment has done?

Would it be worth a couple of dollars to have this type of inspection? In my mind yes. Nor is this impossible because some of my other equipment is made in China and it has the UL seal.

So, if it has the UL seal of approval it can't catch fire and destroy my house. That is what insurance is for. If it had the UL rating you can bet that UL isn't gonna pay my deductible. I looked at the gallery photos for the Outlaw equipment and find it a little odd that the amps I own which are made in the USA don't have the UL rating but the 990 has a rating even though it is built overseas. I am sure that the space heater my mom uses in Pennsylvania in the winter is rated UL but they still catch fire when not used appropriately. I bet Scott and PeterT are glad this topic jumped the tracks so they don't have to give us an update excep as to whether the 978 is fire proof.

I think you missed where I said that my recent 7125 does have a seal. The photo, however, shows no seal. Therefore the photos may not be accurate.

It is not UL who would pay for a house fire. It would be you insurance company, and I don't know if they have it written into their policies that electronic devices must have a safety rating, but I wouldn't be surprised.

Which Outlaw amps do you have that don't have any rating? I mean you did check the back of the amp and didn't just count on the photo to be accurate, right?

The FUD factor is really amusing. Some folks are pulling out all the stops to divert attention from the 800lb gorilla in the room. See the title of the thread to remind yourselves.

Wake me up when it's over.

My 7125 doesn't appear to have a UL mark on it although it is hard to see from the back of the rack using an inspeaction mirror. My 7500 is in NC so I can't look at that. I would think that the gallery pix would be of real equipment but I did notice that some do not have serial numbers. I hope the Outlaws are not holding out the 978 update/release to make sure we know if it is UL rated or not. This is so sad...

Unless anything made in China has to be UL tested. I doubt that. Outlaw must be happy that the UL discussion in this forum derailed the real issue which is WHEN will the release date of the 978 be. June already and no further info. It seemed with the last info they were ready to release the 978 but no news is bad news I feel.

*shrug*

"Run silent, run deep" seems to be the rule of the day. Remember when the Outlaws used to be active participants of the forums? Remember when the forums were filled with new/eager owners? This place has been in "dead man walking" mode for a couple of years. The only thing keeping the lights on was their decision (after urging from a number of people including myself) that they at least offer SOMETHING in the way of a processor until they could bring one to the table. So they started offering Onkyo and then after a while it was Marantz. All the while, they were gradually losing the attention of their existing customer base. In 2005, I had a complete complement of Outlaw gear (except for my main speakers and DVD player). Now I'm down to a single LFM-1.....but I digress.

Then there was the Sherwood debacle. Then they were selling speakers made by Snell (another D&M Holdings trademark) and Snell went away. Then the Lucy and Charlie Brown football treatment with the 978. Hard to see anything positive about Outlaw's future if you stand back as an outsider and peer in.

Say what you want about Emo (I have had choice words for them in the past), but they're consistently refreshing their products, they've acquired a premium brand (Sherbourn...apparently they've been Sherbourn's manufacturer for a while before that) for professional installers to leverage. But most importantly, they're actually engaged with their customers. They're doing regular podcasts, trade shows, regular postings on their forums, etc. Meanwhile the Outlaws are mostly MIA, even on their own forums.

Best,

I have to agree with you Ritz, the Outlaws are MIA and like true outlaws can't be trusted to provide a straight answer. If they are even reading this thread I am sure they are formulating the next plan to asuage the customer base. Even the most dedicated fans are signing off and not bothering to participate. Apathy will ultimately prove Outlaws undoing.

Its months old, but it is consistent with what has to be accomplished:

http://ubb.outlawaudio.com/ubbthreads/ub...89759#Post89759