This is complete and total speculation ...

When you add up the clues, there really aren't that many options. What company is based in North America (note they didn't say US), makes modern pre/pros, builds in China, and sells in B&M stores? Narrow that down to companies that would have the clout to pull something like this. Then narrow that list down to a products that compete in the same price segment as Outlaw.

I think it was NAD.

Possibly Parasound, but I don't know where those are made.