Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions 7 Channel Amps

And here I was ready to install that new 12 ga power wire from the panel board.

Aw heck I'm going to do it anyway.

Only one problem is that I ran out of circuits and need a new panel board .

An extra 20 amp circuit never hurts. However, the full panel (breaker) box may present you with a challenge.

Yep, I can either replace the entire panel $$$ or add a sub panel from the existing one. Either way, I have to replace my panel mounting board which will involve the power company turning off the power.

I have a question for those owners of Outlaw Audio amplifiers. I have been looking at their 7x125W amplifier versus the 7x200W amplifier. Has anyone tried the two and found a sound quality difference? Is the 7x200W simply louder? Their contact person (Scott) has been very helpful and very forthcoming with answers to all the questions I have had for him. His opinion seems to be that going to 200W is only required for inefficient speakers. The combination of Monitor Audio and Axiom speakers that I will have seem to be plenty efficient to warrant sticking with 125W per channel.

Comments?

Just how loud do you want to listen?

Do you have a SPL meter?

Bruce, being an owner of either of the two units probably wouldn't be helpful in answering your question. The transparency of each in amplification would be a given and the question would simply be one of the relative maximum power capabilities. Although the difference between 125 watts and 200 watts appears large from just the numbers, the logarithmic nature of the calculation of sound levels shows that the difference is only 2.04dB. For example, if a certain momentary peak could be played at 110dB using 125 watts, it could be played at 112.04dB using 200 watts. It's highly unlikely in the real world that this would be significant, keeping in mind that at a comfortably loud average listening level the speakers will be using about 1 watt.

Ok, my ideal level will probably peak in about the same range as the louder theaters. I don't know if anyone here has actually measured this as a reference. Anyone? I am one of those unlucky few that procrastinated with the Radio Shack buyout and thus am sans SPL meter.

I have heard comments with some amplifier manufacturers that the higher power models "sound better" due to their "ability to control the speakers" as a result of the increased available power.

I could speculate that a good amplifier manufacturer should be great all across the board and thus it comes down to a simple matter of dB. Dynamic headroom?

I understand that the Axiom speakers are quite efficient and thus should not require a lot of power. In addition, if I construct a media room properly to contain the energy of the sound, I should theoretically require less power (as compared to those who place their systems in living rooms where the systems experience lots of loss - hence the need for bigger subwoofers). Also my media room would be classified as "small" at approximately 14' x 23' x 7'.

Bruce: did you notice all the sales that Outlaw just announced?

Probably time to make a decision if you want some of their gear.

Indeed! I have been waiting for the 7125 and M990 combo to come out. Unfortunately for me the wife wanted to go camping and I missed the order deadline to get an additional $100USD off the price tag.
Argh!

What a bummer!!!!

They may have another sale, of some sort, before the Summer is over.

I told the wife I was going to buy the Outlaw combo (even have the money for it) and she told me to wait. We have a leaky basement that needs repair and wanted to make sure we had enough money to fix it (wanting to take money out of my Home Theater Fund ). I emailed Outlaw thanking them for the opportunity to buy at a reduced price to save a couple of hundred USD and he responded saying they still have the promotion on (even though their web states it ended at the end of July). There is no word of when the promotion will end but he will let me know. I got an official quote this morning for some epoxy injection for my basement cracks at about $400. That leaves plenty for the Outlaw combo .