Currently I need 5 channels and don't know if and when I would need 7 so I have been looking at the 7500 however for the same price I can get a B stock 7200 so will have to see what is there when I am ready to order which may be a few months from now that I need to save a bit more dough. As for the balanced inputs, they are not a priority for me and if Outlaw offered a 5 channel unbalanced amp I would really look at that as the cost would be lower. Thanks again for the input it is helping me attain a more focused plan for my HT

I have the 7125 and the 7500. The 7125 is my everyday, use it all the time, machine. I drive some Magnepans with the 7500 because they are power hogs. Can your mains be bi-amped? If so, I would suggest the 7125 and you can use two channels for each of the mains. Recognize that 200 watts output gets you +2 db SPL over the 125 watts from the 7125. You don't sound like you need balanced outputs so save the $$$ and try out the 7125. Your speakers are 89 db efficient and the 7125 will drive them to extreme levels near 110 db vice the 7500 which will go to 112 db. If you can bi-amp, then you can have as much power as you will ever need to the mains and much more power to the rest of the system.

XenonMan
My mains have the inputs to be bi amped however the two 8 inch drivers have their own amp (Polk says 100W, whatever that means) so I don't think there would be a benefit from bi amping them. Currently I am tracking down a ground loop hum when I hook up the "subs" with line level inputs and if I can fix that then I would just be driving the tweeter and midwoofer with the amp which to me means I would have plenty of oomph with the 7125 with two channels free for later upgrades.

Also, my rear speakers are rated at 125W so 200W might be too much for them as well.

I have read some where that the Polks have issues with ground loop hum. If you can't find the issue readily, it may be in the amps for the woofers. Can you power those woofers straight from an external amp like the 7125? Maybe you could use the spare channels to run your subs.

I've never encountered ground loop hum problems with Polks. Make sure that your feeding the amp and the powered woofers both from the same outlet( mine share a Monster Powercenter).
Is the humm just comming when the poweref woofers ar plugged in?

I have all of my electronics running through a panamax 5100 and have been running my subs with a speaker level input. Recently I have been attempting to run a line level to the subs and speaker level to the tweeter and midrange. My theory is that I am wasting current and energy by NOT using a line level as my subs have their own built in amp. Where is the current and energy going that is not needed or used by the amp? My viewpoint is that I am wasting all of this so the problem arises when I plug the line level into the sub I get a nasty hum. I have disconnected the cable tv from the system with no loss of hum so the hum must be coming from the line level connection between the sub and the receiver. This hum was not present when using the speaker level inputs.

My quick fix is to make a common ground with a small stranded wire between the receiver, which does have a common ground screw on the back for just such a purpose, and to the amp on the speaker. I have not had time as of yet to try this fix but will over the next few days.

XenonMan
I have never thought about bypassing the amps and then using the extra channels that way. perhaps if I cannot figure out the ground loop issue this may become a solution.

Well I have not logged in here for over 3 1/2 years and even missed an opportunity to purchase a used 7500 amp!! I have not purchased an Outlaw product yet however I have updated my system since this post so long ago. I now have a bigger TV, a Marantz SR6006 used as a preamp I bought on discount, and an Adcom GFA 7000 I bought used off a friend for 500 bucks. I decided to go this route after Outlaw cancelled the 978 and had not introduced the 975 yet and I got a bit nervous they may not put something out soon so jumped the gun and bought the Marantz. I still have my eyes on a new amp from Outlaw down the road but now have shifted my main focus to a dedicated subwoofer and/or new speakers.

thanks for all of the support for my previous thread and may have more questions regarding subs in the next few weeks.