[Wodgy]

I'm really excited to see that this product is finally out! It's been rumored for years:

http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/rr2150_about.html

I've been waiting for something like this. There really isn't anything else like it on the market. It's a dedicated 2 channel receiver for those people who are still believers in 2 channel audio, but it also has all the features you'd expect from a home theatre receiver, like USB audio input, preamp outs, analog speaker equalization, and analog bass management.

That last feature is the real gem. Right now, all the competing 2 channel products (e.g. NAD L73) lack bass management and preamp outs, and all the multichannel home theatre receivers do bass management in the digital domain (forcing an analog -> digital -> analog conversion) and you have to step up to upper level models to get preamp outs. If you're running a bookshelf speakers + subwoofer arrangement and haven't tried proper bass management, it's worth trying. It definitely makes a big difference in the sound quality, at least in my experience.

This unit also looks like it would make a great 2 channel, remote controlled preamp for a tube amp. A Dynaco ST70 would probably go well with the "retro" look.

Can't wait for reviews of this unit.

 

[JiiEf]

Looks pretty sweet on paper. Too bad it won't be available here, unless Outlaw suddenly pulls a 180 and starts making 230v models.

/JF

 

[en480c4]

It's definitely an impressive piece, and the final product looks much better than the prototype they had at one of the shows a few years back. I have their 1050 receiver for my HT, and would definitely go with them again. It's a cool company who are great to deal with and offer incredible value in all of their products.

 

[VicAjax]

wow... that's cool that they actually released it. i figured it would just end up being a back-room tinker project. the faceplate reminds me a little bit of a miami beach condo high-rise, but if i don't think about that, i like it. i think.

one odd thing... why would they include a USB input but not optical or coaxial? there's obviously a DAC in there, why not allow more opportunity to use it?

 

[morphsci]

I have been waiting for the RR2150 for a while now. This will be the main component of my office rig. Certainly a lot less expensive than a Music Hall Maven. I just have to finsih setting-up and child-proofing (Yeah Right

) my home 2-channel rig.

 

[soundboy]

So the analog bass management is like Outlaw's own ICBM unit?

This is what I've been looking for to replace my Cambridge Audio A500 integrated amp. I figure by the time I add up the cost of adding a tuner, a phono preamp, and that ICBM bass management unit for my planned powered sub, I'd be more than halfway towards the cost of this new receiver.

But I will have to live with the "stigma" of being a receiver owner

 

[Wodgy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by soundboy So the analog bass management is like Outlaw's own ICBM unit?

Yes, it's basically an integrated 2.1 channel version of the ICBM (minus the option for stereo subs). There's also a configurable speaker bass equalization circuit for people who don't have a sub. It would be handy for people with bookshelf speakers that have almost enough bass, but not quite. That could remove the need for a sub for many people.

 

[jimmyjames8]

As a current Outlaw owner, whatever model preceeded the 990 Pre/Pro, I would have to say, wait another year for them to get the bugs worked out.

 

[morphsci]

As a current Outlaw owner I would say if you are ready to buy, don't wait. Although there were some initial problems with the Outlaw 950, they were taken care of. That was their first foray into a multi-channel processor and it was a learning experience. Their current processor (990) and multi-channel receiver (1070) seem to be just fine with none of the growing pains of the 950. In addition, 1. a two-channel receiver with no multi-channel decoding software is a much simpler device and 2. it has been in development for quite a while (including Beta testing). This is my opinoin and I do not work for nor even know anyone personally who works for Outlaw Audio. (I do not want to be accused of being a shill just because I think a product and company are first class

)

 

[Wodgy]

This receiver is completely analog (except for the remote control microcontroller and the USB IC), so there probably won't be any software bugs. However, I'd imagine there could potentially be noise issues like on the early 950s. It'll be interesting to see what the early reviews say.

 

[Jahn]

I'm ahead of the times, and behind the times, hehe. I use my old Marantz 2226 receiver for 2-channel stereo in Channel A, and Channel B I use it for my subwoofer. I switch the dial to A+B, then manually dial in the right level of subwoofer bass to go with my speakers. Then if I want subwoofer bass, I can always switch the dial to it - and if I want more, I can hit the "loudness" button or even the Bass EQ dial. The receiver has a phono stage and a tuner, and a preamp out and power amp in, and a tape loop out and in and etc etc- Jack of all trades!

edit- and a headphone out hehe. It's very interesting to plug the HP2 in there, then turn off Channel A and switch just to Channel B - Cans with Subwoofer, woot!

 

[Wodgy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn I'm ahead of the times, and behind the times, hehe. I use my old Marantz 2226 receiver for 2-channel stereo in Channel A, and Channel B I use it for my subwoofer. I switch the dial to A+B, then manually dial in the right level of subwoofer bass to go with my speakers.

That's good, but you're missing the other half of the bass management: a high pass filter on the mains. If you depend on the main speakers' natural rolloff for integration with a subwoofer, it can sound good, but it's not as nice as proper bass management. With ported speakers the phase spins around as you approach the tuning frequency, which makes subwoofer integration imperfect. Moreover, distortion is dramatically higher. Take a look at these graphs.

This is the power handling for a bookshelf speaker with 3mm xmax run full range:

and this is the same speaker with a 100Hz LR4 filter:

Each line represents a doubling of power.

Notice that the speaker with bass management can handle more than four times the amount of power before reaching an equal amount of excursion. You can look at that as being able to play much louder, or having roughly one fourth the distortion. Either way you look at it, it's a big win. And that doesn't even include the distortion reduction that comes from reduced heating of the voice coils.