accurate soundstage and imaging, tight and controlled bass, warm yet clear sounding, inherently musical, well constructed, inexpensive, great value!!!

styling

This is an incredible HT amp!!!

Prior to upgrading my HT amp I was using the Rotel RB980X (120W/ch) to drive my Vandersteen Model 3. I loved the Rotel and wanted another amp that will give the same or better performance. I wanted that tight and controlled bass without the rumble that is a sign of a CHEAP amp. Additionally, I wanted more headroom and a 5 channel amp that will perform as well as a good 2 channel amp. With all of this in mind, I picked up the B&K Reference 7250. Paying $ 2250 for 200w/ch 5 channel amplifier was about as much as I wanted to pay. After 3 weeks of listening and tearing the B&K apart, I was truly disappointed. The B&K had tremendous dynamic headroom but that was about all that was good. The imaging and soundstage lacked the accuracy (I can strafe my wall with a machine gun and I wouldn't hit an instrument). The sound seems to come from either the direct center or left and right with nothing in between (no center right/left). The bass had the punch but lack the control (great for simulating earthquakes not drums, tympani, double bass or the canons in 1812 overture). B&K was also harsh sounding; after 35 minutes, my ears started to ache and tire (no...the volume was not that high). I couldn't find anything that I liked with the B&K, so I returned it after 3 weeks.

After reading the reviews of the Outlaw Model 750. I couldn't resist!!! I ordered the unit on Monday evening and it arrived Friday afternoon! How can anyone complain about that. The unit was well packed and well documented. After all connections were made, I turned the unit on and listened for 4 hours. The Outlaw 750 did everything that the B&K couldn't do and had the headroom to boot. Although only 165w/ch it pratically matched B&K's Dynamic headroom. The soundstage was an amazing presentation of the real thing! I wouldn't dare break out the machine gun with the Outlaw 750. Incredibly, the amp performed just as good as in an HT enviroment. Whether you listen to music or watch Arnold in Terminator 2, the Outlaw broke all the rules of a CHEAP amp and abide by the rules of a true HI-FI component!

Oh by the way, I emailed B&K for some answers/help/advice but never received a respond!!! Go figure. Looks like they need to go back to the drawing boards.

Equipments
PRE-AMP/PROCESSOR - B&K AVP4090
Speakers - Vandersteen, Front, rear, center, no sub
DVD - Sony DVPS530
Rega - Planet

Similar Products Used:

Rotel RB980X, B&K Components Reference 7250

Great Soundstage & Imaging. Clean Detailed Highs, Tight Bass, Mids to Die For, Runs VERY cool.

NONE

Having listened to the ATI 1505, Sherwood AM-9080 and Sony TA-N9000ES, before buying the Outlaw, I would put the 750 up against any of them. Better than the Sherwood And Sony by a mile and edges the ATI. The value of this amp is outstanding. I can't wait for the Pre/Pro from this company. If your in the market for a audiophile quality amp, for a price that can't be beat, this is it! VERY highly recommended.

Excellent bass even compared to the Adcom 555 and sunfire amps. Very
neutral amp - with "see-through" mid-range. Highly recommended.

FED-EXPRESS damaged the first unit but Tom Young from Outlaw sent another unit to me without waiting for me to return the damaged original. If this kind of service is a weakness they will be around for a long time. NOW - where is the AV pre-amp??

Buy two - they're worth it

Great value.

Outlaw provided great service with very fast delivery. I've become disenchanted with companies that refuse to business over the net, or that won't back products bought this way, so dealing finding an outfit that prefers this medium, has a great product, and provides tremendous value was a terrific experience.

I won't comment a great deal on the unit because this is my first experience with separates but I can't imagine being happier. I've upgraded from an older Sony ES integrated unit that I've had and enjoyed for years. Definition and soundstage were greatly improved. At first some recordings fell apart because they were too well defined but the old Sony was still acting as a pre. When a Parasound 2500 pre/pro replaced it the music was much more integrated. Home theater has changed exponentially with this combination.

So I'll give the Outlaw 5 stars for value/service and 4 for the overall rating because even though I love the unit and would buy it again in a hearbeat, I don't have much to compare it to.

Let me start off by saying that this company is 100% legitimate. They were friendly, answered all my questions, shipped the product quickly, and even called me back to let me know the tracking number. As you know there are a number of shady companies on the Internet, but this is definately not one of them. After the whole transaction was complete, I must say I was as happy purchasing this amp from Outlaw as I have been buying things from my local audio dealer.
Okay, so how does it perform? Well, as far as performance it seems identical to the ATI 1505...which is to say, it sounds great. I will agree with the Home Theater Magazine review that the Parasound 2505 sounds a tad more detailed, but for 2.5 times the price. Personally, you could invest in $500 cables to get the same effect and still save $1000!

After running this in my system for the last month I have noticed some interesting characteristics. My system speakers consists of the following:

DefTech BP3000TL mains
DefTech CLR3000 center
DefTech BP2002TL rears
Monster Z2 Reference cables

As you probably know, the Deftech's contain a total of 5 woofers...one 10", two 12", and two 18". They also have 18 mid range drivers and 9 tweeters (they are bipoles). They have a relatively high-sensitivity, but are hard to drive because of the low impedence (the CLR in particular is VERY low).

I have cranked this system up to ludicrous volume levels. This amp simply refuses to clip. I am VERY, VERY impressed needless to say. I simply can't imagine a speaker that this amp couldn't drive. The clipping technology used in this amp seems to be more advanced than the ATI 1505, so essentically you are getting a better amp with the same great sound but paying MUCH less than the ATI 1505. When the amp goes into a clip state it will immeidately trip a time-breaker. This prevents any chance of a blown fuse in the amp. Also, I would assume if you happen to cross connectors, this would also trip the time-fuse. In other words, it appears to be a completely maintenance free amp.

Anyway, what more can I say...the product delivers great sound even under heavy loads and the company is very responsive. I am extremely happy I made the decision to purchase this amp.

Best,
- Andy...

Sound quality, build quality, value

Other than a short-lived experience with an Adcom 5 channel amp, this is my first real experience with a separate amplifier. I lived with the Adcom for about a week and then returned it due to excessive noise and hiss.

Six months ago, I upgraded my receiver from a Yamaha RX-V890 to a Marantz SR-7000. I didn't really consider purchasing separates at the time, but in hindsight I wish I had. I had been relatively happy with my Yamaha from a power perspective, but needed to upgrade to Dolby Digital. I chose the Marantz for its sound quality, features and build quality, but I have been disappointed in its power output. I'm using Paradigm Studio 60's for my front mains and my system is located in a medium-sized room with high ceilings. The Marantz tends to sound thin and strained when I try to listen at higher than normal volumes and sometimes distorts during loud passages on movie soundtracks. I began researching high-power, 5 channel amps in the sub $2000 range a few months ago and decided on the ATI 1505. While reading reviews of the 1505, I came across the Outlaw 750. In the end, the positive reviews of the 750, the savings over the ATI and Outlaw's return policy gave me the confidence to try the 750.

I ordered the 750 and 3 pairs of Outlaw's new interconnects on a Monday night. I had a question about shipping the next day, left a message at Outlaw, but never received a call back... Not a great introduction to Outlaw customer service (I ended up contacting the shipper directly and got my question answered). Both packages arrived on Wednesday of the same week. After unpacking, I was immediately impressed with the build quality of the unit. Heavy gauge steel, quality connectors and a clean, simple design go a long way to instill confidence. The Outlaw interconnects are also nicely built and a bargain at about $16 a piece (with shipping) for the .5 meter lengths. The only hook-up hitch resulted from the size of the barrel connectors on the Outlaw interconnects. They are large barrel, locking type connectors and the tight spacing of the pre-out outputs on My Marantz made for difficult connection. In fact, all 5 connectors ended up in direct contact with one another. I e-mailed Outlaw tech support and was assured that this does not present a problem (quick response this time). I used the Marantz DC out trigger and a .99 cent cable from Radio Shack to power-on the 750 and everything works flawlessly. I checked for any noise or hum problems and detected none.

Finally, the moment of truth... I fired everything up and put on a couple of CD's. Wow, the first thing I noticed was an incredible soundstage that I had never quite heard from my speakers before. Midrange that had hardly been present suddenly came to life. I began noticing little nuances in the music, i.e., the sound of the foot pedals on a piano, the breath of a vocalist, etc. that had just not been as apparent with the Marantz (of course this also applies to limitations in the source recording like tape hiss, etc - a small price to pay). Everything sounds more lifelike. Next, I put in a couple of demanding DVD's to check out the home theater side. Battle scenes from Gladiator and U-571, the incredible surround effects on the Phantom Menace and others all sounded fantastic - and had clarity and punch that my 7000 could just not muster. Of course, now I'm dreaming of an upgrade to my center channel and rear surrounds.....

In all, an excellent product and a good value. Outlaw proves that a great sounding, high-quality amplifier can be produced at a reasonable price (comparatively speaking). $1099 is still a lot of cash, but I know that I'll get many years of use out of this product. Best of all, I know that I've purchased my last receiver. I'm sure I'll upgrade to a better pre/pro as the technology changes, but I feel like I'm well taken care of in the amplifier department for years to come. Highly recommended.

Similar Products Used:

Adcom 5 channel amp

Authority, power, cleanliness, VERY solid build quality, unparelleled customer service.

Honestly, none I can find

Clif Notes version: Get this amp. Now.

Right out of the box, withoput breaking it in, this amp improved the sound of my Marantx SR-7000 receiver (now head unit) hugely, no small feat for those of you who know how good this receiver is.

After reading a review where a well-known audiophile (Brent Butterworth) stated, "I can's say this isn't a $1700 amp for $1100, because that's just what it is." He now has the amp in his personal system.

I have quite good, but power-hungry speakers (Taylo Acoustics System 200 HT setup--4 monitors/sub; can't recommend highly enough), but this beast drives them with ease, and to heights I didn't know existed.

Instruments and voices spring forward from my speakers, each sound clearly delineated but blended in wonderfully with all other tracks.

I recently had a Musical Fidelity HT pre-pre/amp in my house (sent back due to faulty pre-pre, got NO help from Audio Advisor's customer service), and I thought it was crisp, but a little weak. No such problem here.

I'll be the first in line (or from the looks of it, number 56,944) for the upcoming Outlaw Audio pre-pro. Until then, this combo is doing me serious justice, and I can't recommend this amp highly enough.

I wish they had 6 stars for value!

Feel free to ask any questions....

My system:
SR-7000 RECEIVER
OUTLAW AUDIO 750 AMP
SONY DVPS-7700 DVD/CD PLAYER
TAYLO ACOUSTICS SYSTEM 200 HT SPEAKER SETUP
DH LABS T-14 SPEAKERS CABLES

Similar Products Used:

Marantz MM-9000 (Good, but unlike the Outlaw Audio 750, not much of an improvement over stock SR-7000)

powerful

turn on click

Using Denon 3300 as pre amp - this outlaw 750 is very clean and full...it sounds 10 times better than using the denon 3300 alone - was consider getting hte denon 5800 (for $2400 from the web) but decided to try to outlaw and uprade my speakers aswell. I now have some NHT supertwo's (which replaced some best buy specific model G300 JBL's - which were pretty darn good).

Try this amp out - man is is just sweet.....great company aswell....freaking heavy amp though

any comaprisons between the denon 5800 and the outlaw out there???? thanks

Similar Products Used:

receivers only

This is an absolutely great amplifier. Smoother and more refined than my previous Carver A-500x. I've run this amp at reference levels for over 4 hours, and the top of the amp gets barely warm. 5 channels at 165W per channel for $1100 can't be beat. If you're in the market for an ATI 1505 or equivalent, definately check this amp out!

I have owned both ATI's 1505 & 1506 amps. Both were excellent, as advertised. A few days ago, I read a very positive review in Home Theater Magazine about the Outlaw 750. Going to their website, I observed the amp with the cover removed. It bore an uncanny resemblance to the ATI 1505. Checking out the specifications, I saw an even stronger resemblance. When I called Outlaw with my curiousity, I was told they are made by the manufacturer. Wow! An ATI 1505 clone for $400 less than ATI charges, with 15 wpc more power. I ordered one on the spot.