To the rest of the Saloon, I guess I'm going to start shopping for a new processor. Any recommendations for a processor in a price range of $1.5-3K, preferably the lower end, but for the right features and quality I would pay more. Obviously I will look at the Marantz systems Outlaw is reselling, but to be honest I have never been a fan of Marantz products. For those that remember, the proposed 978 from Outlaw would have really filled the bill for me.
I am/was in a similar situation. My Outlaw 990 has been the processor in my primary system for about 8 years now. I was hopeful and waited for the 997 and 978 as potential replacements. Obviously that didn't happen for well documented reasons. I have no disappointment in Outlaw, just that it eliminated a potential candidates from the replacement list. I do believe Outlaw is currently overcompensating from the 997/978 experiences by not sharing future information on an upcoming processor.
I looked at a used Marantz AV7005 and new AV7701 and AV8801. The AV7005 & AV7701 don't have the room correction I'm seeking so they aren't long term solutions. The AV8801 was better but doesn't have the desired value proposition. I added the Yamaha CX-A5000 to the potential list and, through my research, felt it was a bit better than the AV8801 but wasn't willing to pay $3k for it.
At this point, I've taken a short/long approach. I picked up a B-stock Outlaw 975 on the current sale--nice price--as a short term solution. I lose my 990s XLR pre-amp outs and it won't have room correction. It gives me HDMI (finally), supports newer processing technologies, and saves me money to fix or replace my TV which is exhibiting video problems. The 975 just arrived so I'll have a few weeks to evaluate it. If the 975 meets my short term goals and provides the desired benefits, I get an interim upgrade while I continue my search for a long-term replacement.
Rob
Previous Topic
Index
