Ron's OUTLAW 950/770 review - any comments/questions? (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

The review is located here:

Outlaw 950/770 review

If you have any comments or questions, please post
them here.

 

[Jacques C]

Can I have them?

Ok maybe you should clarify your request to a non-smartass question. LOL

Anyway, with the power of the 770 running Klipsch speakers, I imagine he can allow the entire neighborhood enjoy his music. Also good to see he put the amp at the bottom of that cabinet. Smart man.

How does the circle surround (CR Surround) compare with DPLII and DTS Neo 6?

Take care.

 

[Jassen M. West]

does it have DTS-ES or Dolby Digital EX? i didn't see those mentioned in your review and having 6.1 without those 2 is kind of pointless ,, right? or am i wrong?

edit:
found the info thanks though for answering

-jay

 

[Peter Loan]

Jassen, it does have DTS-ES and DD EX. I think most people that own the Outlaw 950 prefer the Cirrus Extra Surrond 7.1 processing. It's able to extract the two back channels from standard 5.1 soundtracks.

 

[Steven Simon]

Ron does not use the Cirrus processing. He has 5.1.

 

[Chuck Stephens]

Great review Ron!

Do you have a page with photos of your home theater by any chance?

 

[MarcVH]

Great review, thanks!

Um, maybe this is a dumb question, but if it's just a 5.1 setup, why use the 7-channel 770 amp instead of the equivalent 5-channel model 755?

 

[Robin Casady]

Um, maybe this is a dumb question, but if it's just a 5.1 setup, why use the 7-channel 770 amp instead of the equivalent 5-channel model 755?

Well, he could bi-amp the mains.

Nice review. It echoes my experience going from a Denon 3802 to the 950/770 combo.

 

[DarrylM]

Well, he could bi-amp the mains.

Of course, with 400 watts driving each high-sensitivity Klipsch speaker, the only sound he would hear is the violent implosion of his eardums!

Hope you're enjoying your system, Ron.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Using a 7 channel amp with only 5 channels would still give you more headroom for just the 5. There are two toroidal transformers for all 7 channels, so the power available just gets divided into 5. More or less.

Or maybe he's planning to upgrade someday.

 

[Tyler DJW]

Ron,
Did you have a chance to compare the 950/770 pair against other separates in this price range? There's endless debate it seems over whether the Outlaw or Rotel gear is better, for example, and I'd like to know what your opinions were of others' gear. (I'm sure both the Outlaw and Rotel make excellent components )

Thanks for posting your review!

 

[Haris Ellahi]

Nice!

By the way, which Klipsch speakers are those?

 

[Philip Hamm]

All I have is one smartass remark regarding the last paragraph (hope I'm allowed)

Anyone that is even remotely interested in stepping up to the benefits one receives with separates without pouring thousands of dollars into equipment, should really consider the Outlaw 770/950 combo. At a combined pricetag of $2499 ($200 off the total price if each component were purchased separately) and an unconditional 30 day trial period, the purchase of these units over more expensive hardware becomes a no-brainer.

$2499 is "thousands of dollars".

Hope you're enjoying the 950 Ron, I joined the 950 club in December last year and it'e been great. I'm also using a 5.1 setup with my 950.

The only reason I can imagine for having a 7 channel amp is for future upgrade potential. Or to get the discount that the package contains. Does Outlaw have a similar deal for the 950 when combined with their 5 channel amp?

 

[Dan Hitchman]

Get yourself some matching Klipsch back surrounds (direct radiating, of course), Ron!

IMHO I don't necessarily like Cirrus Extra Surround (it's definitely nothing like Logic7, and it can't create pseudo-stereo back channels). Real DTS-ES matrix and Dolby Digital EX processing can be applied to non-flagged DTS and DD 5.0/5.1 material and (depending on the movie's surround mix) can be just as good as if the movie had been specifically encoded to ES or EX.

When I add Cirrus Extra Surround to the ProLogic II mode, I get a wierd effect where some of the front center dialog starts to bleed into the back surround speakers (not the sides). If I leave PL II in 5.1 mode, there is no dialog bleed-through. Strange...

Overall, it's a decent little pre-amp... until I can afford an Anthem or Krell, or heck even a Lexicon or Meridian. I can dream can't I!

Dan

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Dan- Right on dude!

I have a 950 for 7.1 now, but I still lust after an *affordable* Logic 7 (or THX Ultra2) solution someday...

Since this is an "Outlaw" thread, I have a hope that the 950's big brother, when/if it ever appears, might have one of Logic 7 or THX Ultra2.

The new batch of H/K receivers all have the triple crossover, so I am simplistically hoping that Outlaw "traded" Harmon for Logic 7.

 

[Peter Loan]

Dan,

I know that the two rear channels are mono, but I've read all kinds of stuff about a single rear causing weird effects as well. Can you use dual rears in EX or ES mode? I have the Outlaw but like Ron, have never bothered to go full out 7.1

 

[Russell _T]

The triple crossover is not proprietary while L7 is, and somehow I doubt Harmon would license it out even if Outlaw was willing to pay for it. Cirris ES is a pretty good surround format though. I can't tell much difference between it and L7.

 

[Parker Clack]

Logic 7 is proprietary to Harmon International and since they own Lexicon they just incorportated it into their line of receivers. So like Russell said I doubt that they would licence it to Outlaw. I haven't heard either so I can't comment on whether or not one is "better" than the other.

There are some members that have used both the Outlaw 950 in Cirrus ES and the Lexicon in Logic 7. I hope some of them can shed some light on differences they have experienced.

Parker

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Yes, you can use both rears in a 7.1 setup with the 950 for DD EX and DTS-ES. They both are mono, and just get the same info that a single rear center would get in a 6.1 system.

Logic 7 outputs rears that are *not* mono, so that would seem to me to be a step up, however large or small. I have heard that L7 somehow uses the info in the front 3 channels to "steer" a difference into the rears, although it would make sense too to use the info in the L & R surrounds to do something similar.

 

[Brian Schucher]

I have had both the 950 and the Lex DC2 and though i cant give examples of why I like one over the other.. I definately prefer Logic7 to the Cirrus of the Outlaw. I just simply find it to be a better sounding experience for me personally..