Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Thinking about getting amp for fronts

Specs for the Outlaw 755.

Model 755 Technical Specifications
Power output: 200 watts RMS x 5 (all channels driven simultaneously into 8 ohms from 20 Hz to 20 kHz with less than 0.05% total harmonic distortion). 300 watts RMS x 5 @ 4 ohms

S/N: 119 dB "A" weighted

Power Bandwidth: 5 Hz - over 100 kHz (+0/-3 dB)

Damping factor: 850 (10 Hz - 400 Hz)

Input sensitivity/Impedance: 1.43 volts for full output/28 k ohms

Crosstalk: Greater than -90 dB from 20 Hz to 20 KHz

Gain: Voltage gain of 28 dB

Slew rate: 50 Volts/microsecond

Remote Trigger voltage: 3 - 32 volts DC

Power requirements: 115 V 50-60 Hz

Power consumption: 1,800 watts (maximum)

Dimensions (W x H x D): 17.2 x 7.75 with feet x 18 (inches)

Weight: 78 (lbs)

Not too bad.... The Krell amps are very similar and cost 5X as much

oachalon, since you have a powered sub, assuming your RX-V1400 is properly configured (LFE=SWFR, crossover=80hz, all speakers=small), your receiver is probably using only about 1 watt/channel to achieve extremely loud levels.

Reason is most of amp power goes to bass frequencies, and you've already off loaded that. Since you're probably only using 1/80th the capability of your amp, increasing your headroom from 80x to 200x is unlikely to make an audible difference.

I'd suggest you get an SACD/DVD-A player and some discrete surround discs. You will really enjoy those. You already have the surround receiver and speakers.

Whether changing amps makes an audible difference is debatable. Whether the multichannel SACD version of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon is audibly different (most would say better) than the stereo version is not debatable. Anyone with ears can hear the difference.

Go to http://store.acousticsounds.com/, query on SACD and DVD-A, and see if your favorite artists have any discs out.

My receiver is setup correctly. I have been looking into SACD and dvd audio. My magnavox 5 disc cd player is about 10 years old and it still works good but it is getting close to upgrading time. I just dont know if sacd is really going to catch on. There are some good titles that i like on sacd and dvd-a but im not sure enough to buy a new player.

I agree, not too bad at all. An ext. amp like that would totally let the warm midrange shine through, and it would tame those harsh highs most common with Yammies (RXV-2095, RX-V3000, RX-V740 for example). It would be cool if Outlaw made two and 3ch amps too.

I would love to see Outlaw put out a two or three channel amp.

the newer yamahas seem to be pretty neutral in sound. I completely forgot that my rp82 plays dvd audio. Maybe ill buy a dvd audio disc and see how everything sounds.

You never really realize how harsh on the top end the Yamaha amps are until you add an ext. amp. Same thing with Denon; you never realize how bright their amps are until you add an ext. amp; still, Yamaha makes an excellent product, and your 1400 is more than enough to "power" the M60's, but if you want refinement, get an ext. amp.

Good luck.

"Maybe ill buy a dvd audio disc and see how everything sounds."

Try Eagles - Hotel California (DVD-A), Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (DVD-A), Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (DVD-A), Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells (DVD-A) All are well engineered surround mixes.

There are some poorly engineered surround mixes out there. Not every surround album sounds good (from a technical, not artistic standpoint).

Be very careful as some are available in CD, SACD and DVD-A versions. Don't accidentally get the wrong version.

And, just so you don't make the same mistake I did...

If you don't have a 6-RCA cable running from player to receiver then you are probably not hearing DVD-A, but rather the DVD-V compatibility tracks which are included on most DVD-A's. Same goes for SACD (6 RCA) but usually no DVD-V fallback.

In reply to:

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if you want a cleaner more open and unconfined sound that plagues all but the absolute best receivers

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Ummm... methinks thou hath read too much marketing material. I have never found my Onkyo to be lacking or underpowered, regardless of how loud I play music or movies. Granted, my M22s are an easy load, but still. Generalizations like that don't help anyone.