Outlaw's new pre/pro, the 990. (1 Viewer)

[Tony Genovese]

The Outlaws have now posted some additional info on their site :

http://ubb.outlawaudio.com/ubb/ultim...;f=34;t=000003

 

[Shane Martin]

Lewis,
Here is that link with regards to the HDMi receiver

http://www.jvc.com/press/index.jsp?item=437&pageID=1

 

[Rich Malloy]

Denon also has a few models with dual analog multichannel inputs.

And I understand the point that was made that SACD/DVD-A aren't exactly established formats, but this is a multichannel pre-pro, and one would assume that it would support as many multichannel formats as possible.

(Hmmmm.... could this baby possibly carry DVD-A via HDMI, leaving the analog inputs for SACD/CD?)

At any rate, short of some digital solution for one or both of the multichannel music formats (iLink, Firewire, HDMI) so that this unit will support every format I require, I'll be looking elsewhere. And, fortunately, there are other options.

 

[Lawrence X]

Rich, an excellent option is the prepro I'm using - the Cary Cinema 6. There's nothing in its price range that touches it for music reproduction, and it's multichannel is as excellent as you'd expect.

PLUS - it's got 2 sets of 6 channel analog inputs for SACD and DVD-A. It lists for $2500, but I've heard of people getting some excellent deals through Cary dealers.

Good luck - and definitely put the Cary on your short list.

 

[Shane Martin]

HDMI was approved for SACD IIRC. They are waiting for HDMI ver 1.2 to be released.

Outlaw has sorta addressed the question with their latest press release but from my understanding you need HDMI v1.2 to pass DTS HD++, DD etc which means they could possibly still use the analog outs but that would require you use the internal decoder on the HD dvd player you buy. I don't like that.

 

[Rich Malloy]

Thanks, Lawrence... I bet the Cary is fantastic! A bit out of my price-range, most likely, but I'm putting it on the list.

Shane... oh right, it doesn't support HDMI! Not a huge problem for those just wanting video switching (just get a DVD to HDMI adaptor), but DVI won't pass DVD-A signals.

Well, damn. That's two huge marks against this pre-pro. I love Outlaw, and own a 1050 (still working great!), an ICBM-1 (in the main system), and a bunch of their PCA cables, but I don't think this model has been very well though out. It's gotta be the least "future proof" pre-pro I've been looking at. Sadly, I'm gonna have to cross it off the list.

 

[Shane Martin]

Future Proofing for a $1k pre pro? /chuckle.

At that price it's a throw away. I think we're asking for too much if we want upgradability in a $1k pre pro.

The other x-factor in the whole DTS HD/DD stuff is that I believe the decoder on the pre needs to have it installed. The processor may not be able to handle this. I believe the Lexicon uses 4 or so but it is also not a comparison piece due to cost.

 

[Andy_A]

that looks like an outstanding piece of gear. It may just be time for me to purchase my long awaited 950 (let the sales of used 950s begin). Is it just me, or does anyone else find the balanced inputs on this thing superfluous?

As for dual mutli-inputs, a number of Sonys have this feature including the da4es, db1070, da5es, and more. Which Denon units have it? I seem to recall the 4000 or 5000 series of Denon might.



last thing for those complaining of lack of HDMI. In the event you do have more than one HDMI source and only one HDMI input on your tv, you'll be able to convert one of the sources to DVI with no problem..

 

[Tony Genovese]

Correction: They're outputs and they're only superfluous if you don't need them. I find the composite inputs superfluous - guess why?

 

[Philip Hamm]

Balanced inputs? I assumed they were outputs. What would anybody need balanced inputs for?

 

[Tony Genovese]

Of course they're outputs. Balanced inputs can be useful when you have a CD Player, for instance, with balanced outs. Kind of rare these days.

 

[Andy_A]

balanced outputs is what I meant. I just don't see them as necessary

 

[Tony Genovese]

If you had an amp with balanced inputs you might feel differently. As I said, with my TV composite and even S Video inputs are not only unnecessary to me, but indeed useless. However, I think the Outlaws are trying to provide capabilities that will appeal to every kind of user.

 

[SteveCallas]

On Outlaws forum, there is a suggestions for new products thread, and numerous people asked for balanched outputs on this preamp. It seems that many use amps that either require, or give the option of using balanced inputs. I know that when I eventually move to seperates, I will be using pro amps, so balanced outputs are a definite bonus for me.

 

[Andy_A]

I know this can be a contentious issue, but please tell me the advantage I get w/ balanced outputs and cables over standard RCAs assuming I have an adequately shielded RCA cable and a run of less than, say, 40 feet. Thanks

 

[Philip Hamm]

• Bragging rights
• Ability to use more different amps.

 

[JeremyErwin]

source


Balanced vs Unbalanced

 

[Tony Genovese]

Well, if you have a pro amp with balanced ins, chances are it's going to be quieter using the XLRs than RCA's with adapters. Also, I've found that with balanced connections it's often easier to get noise free performance, particularly if you have any other balanced cables in the circuit. Certainly for runs under 5 feet, I can't think of many reasons to use balanced, although my pro parametric eq is happier with balanced cables even in short runs.

 

[Andy_A]

Again, I'd be interested to see some measurable evidence that could support this for runs under, say, 40 feet or so. I contend that you will find no audible difference, even using adapters for a pro amp. This being said, I don't want to turn this thread into an XLR vs. RCA thread. I also don't want anyone to think I have anything but the highest regard for the Outlaws. It is just that I think the 990 could have been made cheaper without these unnecessary outputs; resources could have been put into another feature (I'm not sure I can think of one besides HDMI switching or DCDi) or even better the savings could have been passed on to the buyer..

 

[David Judah]

An instant 4-6 db worth of gain

DJ