Canadian purchasers of Outlaw equipment?

Any fellow Canucks have any info (good or bad) regarding purchases of Outlaw equipment? How do you take care of duty/taxes etc. Did product arrive in good shape? Was shipping cost exhorbitant? Were you still happy with price/performance even AFTER our horrible exchange rate?

Im in dire need of an amp/preamp for my speakers. I have the Paradigm Studio 80's up front with the 20's in rear and the Studio/CC center. Driving all this is an 8 year old underpowered Pioneer AV reciever. I am not getting the most bang for my buck.

Any help regarding the border crossing issues would be greatly appreciated. And if you just wanna laff at the disparity in my set-up, well fire away i guess.

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flying on one wing

Go to the Home Theatre Forum and do a search for "Canadian Outlaws". You should find some info on total costs.

In case you didn't get one to HTF I had a look at total cost for the 950 alone is 1850.00 +- depending on provincial tax.

hrm...im looking at the 950/755 combo...
$US 2098 -> x 1.6 = $CAN 3350 +taxs(15%) = $CAN 3800 + misc = about $CAN 4000. This is my dilema -- is it worth $CAN 4000...? The price/performance ratio definitely goes down, but the Marantz 8200 i was looking at is $CAN 2600 + tax... so no matter what brand i buy i'm going to be paying a $can penalty... i'm gonna have to sit on this for a bit (and its killing me! argh)

yeah the combo's a killer, I am lucky in that I have a five channel Rotel amp. But no matter which way you slice it you are not gonna get a pre/pro and amp anywhere else for $4000.00 Can.

Well, here I go again. I know there's a few good Canadian speaker companies out there -- Energy, Totem, PSB and of course Paradigm. The only Canadian equipment manufacturer i knew of was Bryston -- which is way out of my price range. Did a search on yahoo.ca and voila -- I didnt know Anthem was Canadian! (owned by Paradigm even). The AVM20/PVA5 combo could be had for around $CAN 4000. (the pricing seems to work the same as Paradigm's speakers in that a $CAN 1000/pair will cost $US 1000). The Outlaw 755 seems to be a better power amp than the PVA5 but i think the nod for preamp would have to go to the AVM20. And if i can buy Canadian, hey why not. At least my wife is happy with my waffling -- if i keep changing my mind, i'm not spending $$$

Wow! From what I've read, the AVM20 would certainly be a great way to go -- check out this thread if you haven't already.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

Well, made some inquiries and it would seem that there IS the same pricing policy with Anthem as there is with Paradigm, ie, I dont get killed on exchange rate because im Canadian. Phoning just 2 stores, I've already gotten an over the phone price for the AVM20/PVA5 of $CAN 4900. I should be able to get that down under $4500 when i go to buy it (in about a month). I would've liked to buy the Outlaw gear (I like their moxy!), but without a Canadian distributor i cant really justify paying the full exchange rate. Which would you choose? The Outlaw 950/755 for ~$4100 or an AVM20/PVA5 for about $4500? (that should keep the thread going

jbritt,

Where in Canada are you located? So far here in Alberta the cheapest price I have been quoted for the AVM20 is over $4000 by itself.

Arbury

Im just east of Toronto, Pickering Village. I phoned one store in Toronto, gave me list price of $4600 for the AVM20 alone, but admitted the out the door price would be less than $5K for AVM20/PVA5. Second place quoted me $3600/$1300 over the phone. Should be less than that when i actually buy. Go to www.audioreview.com, 2 guys in Quebec got one for 3K (2 of em) and a guy in Ottawa got one for $2700 (!). I emailed the Ottawa guy to find out if that was a straight up deal (ie, his uncle didnt own the store, he did work for the dealer etc).If i could get one for $2700, i'd buy it tomorrow. Today even. Keep looking i guess (at least you dont have to pay 8% PST).

Try this link, it'll take you right to the reviews of the AVM20 (with the prices)

http://www.audioreview.com/A-V+Preamplifier/Anthem+AVM+20/PRD_129351_2719crx.aspx

If any fellow canucks are in search of a 950, my unit may be up for sale shortly. Rather than returning the unit, i will do a fellow Canadian a favour and save them the $290 in brokerages charges and taxes. Let me know if you are interested.

Power I am interested. Located in Montreal with occasional trips to Toronto. Let me know. email at dffd124@hotmail.com

[This message has been edited by dffd124 (edited May 29, 2002).]

I am *definitely* interested. I am in Toronto and I'll buy it now. Please contact me at: raf@techne.ca

Just out of curiousity, why are you getting rid of the 950? Dissatisfied with it?

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net

That's a good question Matt.

Guys,

i'm thinking of selling to purchase a 1066 instead. Home automation is key in my home theater and the 950 lacks discrete codes in this regard. Second, from testimonials so far, the 1066 is somewhat warmer sounding while the Outlaw is more forward in it's presentation. I'd prefer the warmer sound. These are the two main reasons for looking towards the 1066.

I'm currently trying to purchase a 1066 but i don't see anyone selling and my local dealer no longer carries Rotel for some inexplicable reason or i'd have my own shootout. I'll keep you guys posted as to when i'm selling, hopefully soon.

jbritt,
I am also interested in the AVM20 and I think If I can get it for about $1700 US it is worth it. It seems like a well built machine and future proof. The way you are getting prices it seems that this price might be possible in Canada. Can you let me know where you find the best price so I can have someone buy it over there and ship it to me. I do have a lot of friends in Ontario and Monteral. I appreciate it.

Regards

Amir

I was at a Rotel / Anthem dealer looking at both AVM20 and 1066. The finish on the AVM20 is so much better. Unfortunately the two systems were on separate setups so you could not do direct comparison but the AVM20 with the matching Anthem Amp with Paradigm Studio 60's (they are what I have at home) sounded a bit mellow. However I think it is the amp that gives this feeling (the dealer confirmed this and was not too enthusiastic about the Anthem amp) plus the speakers are also mellow. At home I have a Parasound HCA 2205 which is a bit brighter and the combination should sound great. I can get the AVM20 for about $2700 at a local dealer but it is still a bit too steep for me. I got to wait a bit or try to see if I can get a better price form Canada.

How about the Anthem AVM20 with an Outlaw 755/770?

There are three major factors involved using a digital source. The preamp/processor, the amp and the speakers. For example I had auditioned the Rotel amp at home and with my speakers the sound was not bight or forward but the same amp with Rotel processor 1066 and Theil speakers the sound was very forward and not to my liking. This is very personal and everyone has a different taste. I have not heard the Outlaw and was not interested in their amp since. I have the Parasound and I am very happy with it, no fans, 220W /channel and I can run it for hours without it even feel warm to touch. My speakers are Paradigm studio 60?s for the front and 20?s for the back/side with matching center channel Studio CC and Paradigm sub. I am not that picky about the movie ? the Denon 2800 I have now that I am using as a pre/processor is just fine ? but music is another story. I audition the pre/processors mostly for their musical ability an not so much for movies since any one will be as good if not much better than the Denon I have.

I checked out the Audioreview site. I think most people paid about $2700 US for their AVM20. I do not know which reviewer said that they got the amp for less. Please let me know what you find out.
amir@lamusa.cc

Regards

It would appear we in Canada have an advantage with regards to pricing (only with Paradigm/Anthem products). I have already been quoted 3600 $CAN for the AVM20 which is about 2350 $US (and he said the price when/if i show up will be less).I highly doubt that you will be able to get the AVM20 for 2350 $US. I have Studio 80's that i got for 1500 $CAN (about 975 $US).It seems Paradigm/Anthem in particular give us poor Canadians a break on their domestic/international pricing. (like you Amir, i have the Studio/CC and Studio 20's for the rear surrounds, but i dont have the sub yet). Anyway, i planned on buying the AVM20 at the end of June, but other issues have forced me to delay this. Im looking at August now i think (hey, maybe they'll have the DPLII upgrades by then?)

See if you get a better price if you buy two AVM20 then we can buy them together and have one shipped to me. I have used a Paradigm/Anthem dealer in Toronto before where I bought my studio 20's from (used). Send me your email address and I will give you his information (I do not want to cause any problems for them since they are not to ship outside their territory) he might be able to get us a better deal. BTW I read the post regarding the comparison of AVM20 And the 950 and their similar sounds. But the features of AVM20 seems much more superior and worth the price (at least to me).
The DPL II is not as impressive as the advertise. I still prefer stereo or 5 channel stereo to any processed sound the originated in stereo. This includes the much more expensive processors like Meridian. keep in mind the added features seems to increase the cost by about $300 US.

Jbirtt,
check out the Parasound HCA-2205 you should be able find one used from Audiogon for about $1300 US.

Parasound? I think their stuff is probably pretty good, but the preamp you mention seems to always come out 3rd in a comparison of the AVM20/something else/ and the HCA. Maybe people dumping them? I know I've seen someone else on this board mention something about coming up to Canada to buy Paradigms. (For them, it was a savings, even with the cost of travel and doing all the proper paper work).(Hey! free trade?)