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Bronze Member Username: CaptsquidPost Number: 11 Registered: Mar-06 | I am replacing an NAD 7400 receiver. I have B+W 604 speakers. Since $ and a phono section are two concerns, I have looked for alternatives to the NAD 372 and 272+162. The Rotel sounds good through the 604's. I have always been interested in the Outlaw, read the reviews, but have never seen or heard it. Would someone who knows both kindly offer some input? |
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Silver Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 924 Registered: Jun-07 | What is your reason for replacing the 7400? |
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Silver Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 496 Registered: Feb-07 | Why not give the Outlaw a try? They have a 30 day money back guarantee, I believe. Have you checked out their forum? http://ubb.outlawaudio.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?/ubb/forum/f/17.html |
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Bronze Member Username: CaptsquidPost Number: 12 Registered: Mar-06 | I bought the NAD used in '94. Had the speaker relays replaced in '06 and it was like new for 8 months. Left channel began cutting out again, only for a week, but surely a sign of more trouble. Now the power button is broken and this could be the time to bail. |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyPost Number: 1659 Registered: Oct-04 | I would consider the NAD C720BEE as well. |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 11941 Registered: May-04 | . The phono pre amp's the easy part. How many $'s are you concerned about? Anything other concerns we need to know about? Like the size of the cabinet? The color of the LED's. Will this amplifier go anyway toward reducing greenhouse gasses? . |
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Bronze Member Username: CaptsquidPost Number: 13 Registered: Mar-06 | I can get a refurbed NAD 372 for $700. Advised to stay away from NAD phono pre-amp, Cambridge Audio recommended instead $170 model. Further recommendations were NAD 272 + 162. Refurbed 162 available for $500 = $1200. I have heard the 372, but not with phono section. Have not heard the 272, and as I originally said. the Outlaw. |
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Silver Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 928 Registered: Jun-07 | FWIW NAD has a brand new Phono Pre amp just released and this months Hi Fi Choice gave it Best Buy award in the Phono Section and rated higher than the Cambridge model. They say it is improved over their last offering. I have not heard it though. The C372 is a nice piece but I prefer the C352 for the money. If you were thinking the C372 then I would go up to the separates. The C272 is a budget killer. Amazing price/performance ratio. NAD/Rotel/Outlaw are all very close in regards to performance reviews, but all sound totally different. You really should test drive the Outlaw or Rotel first to see if you will like them. And remember to think outside of your "audio box". Do not compare the outlaw or rotel products to what your use to hearing with your NAD setup. |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyPost Number: 1660 Registered: Oct-04 | ...oops! for some reason I forgot the C720BEE is missing a phono section. Never mind. While it might seem a step down in terms of prestige/reputation, have you heard the Harman/Kardon HK3485 (or HK3480, HK3385, HK3380)? All four can be had for under $250. http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue19/hk3480.htm |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyPost Number: 1661 Registered: Oct-04 | http://www.harmanaudio.com/search_browse/default.asp?sp=S&cat=REC&market=HOM |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 11944 Registered: May-04 | . While I don't often get involved in product discussions, I have always said I think the combination of NAD and B&W is awful. Which piece are you trying to cover up for with the other? The Rotel is closer to the overall personality of the speakers but you'll have to like that sound, kind of, "Hey, look at me. I'm a good hifi." If it's down to those three, then I'd go with the Outlaw, it's tough to beat for the price and is quite listenable. Otherwise, listen some more, there's better gear out there for that price or just a bit more if you don't need the Outlaw's tuner function. Give the Vincent stuff a look. . |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 2373 Registered: May-05 | I'm not a fan of how NAD and B&W pair up either. Rotel to me ears is a far better match. I haven't heard the Outlaw gear, but I've heard it is very similar to Rotel. If you don't need the tuner, get a Rotel integrated amp. It'll save you a few bucks, probably sound a little better, and have a phono section. For the price of a receiver, can you get Rotel's entry level seperates, give or take a few bucks? Or for $1000, you can get this Bryston B60 from Audiogon - http://buy.audiogon.com/cgia/cls.pl?intatran&1202671173 It'll wipe the floor with anything previously mentioned. And it sounds great with B&Ws. Only downfall is it doesn't have all the features the others have. |
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Bronze Member Username: CaptsquidPost Number: 14 Registered: Mar-06 | Thanks All. |
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Bronze Member Username: MagfanUSA Post Number: 76 Registered: Oct-07 | http://stereophile.com/integratedamps/306outlaw/ Stereophile test of RR2150 from our 'for what it's worth' department. |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 11953 Registered: May-04 | . "I haven't heard the Outlaw gear, but I've heard it is very similar to Rotel." I'd say more so than like the NAD. The Rotel is still a tough listen for me. It tries too hard to do the audiophile stuff and I can't forget the system and listen to the music as easily as some other (more expensive generally) equipment manages. Its subjective frequency balance is not to my absolute favorite taste either but that's my problem and shouldn't affect anyone else's preception. Go listen for yourself. I've got a friend who thinks his B&W/Rotel sysetm is great; but he thinks Madonna is the best vocalist he's ever heard. So, there ya go! But I'm not a fan of BandAids on systems or sticking "warm" amplifiers" with "bright" speakers or vice versa. There's fewer wounds being covered up with the Rotel matched to the B&w's IMO. I haven't heard this stuff and the reviews read somewhat on the order of "what does get a bad review in this rag?". They're using words that suggest this is OK gear or, for the money, you could do worse. But this Onkyo gear has received a few decent but not startlingly good reviews in Stereophile. (The matching CD player is reviewed in the current issue.) http://stereophile.com/integratedamps/907onk/ The square wave performance looks funky even for a class D amplifier but that could be less noticeable into a real world speaker load. I don't know the difficulty the 604's present to an amplifier. Class D might not be a great idea if they dip low in the impedance and demand lots o' current at the same frequency. That's been the typical B&W speaker for awhile now but I understand they're trying to make easier to drive speakers in some cases. If you can listen to the Onkyo, it's worth killing a half hour. I suspect the Vincent will kick it around the room but it's more money too. . |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY United States Post Number: 1662 Registered: Oct-04 | The B&W 700 Series and up always sounds best mated to McIntosh tubes, IMHO. I've auditioned the older B&W 600 Series (I've not listened to the new series) on H/K, Marantz, NAD, and Anthem, and while I can't remember any one receiver sounding distinctly bad, I do remember thinking that the Marantz (it was a higher-end HT receiver, perhaps the SR8600 or SR9600?) worked very well with the DM602 S3 I was listening to. |
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Silver Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 941 Registered: Jun-07 | " The Rotel is still a tough listen for me. It tries too hard to do the audiophile stuff and I can't forget the system and listen to the music" Thats a perfect description IMO. It also is fatiguing to my ears after about 30 minutes. Its not Flat, and has a great emphasis on treble, making it seem more detailed than I would grant it. Too bright to my ears. Chris- My dealer has McIntosh tubes in his home, and they truly are a musical wonder. They sound great. Very warm, lush, musical, and flat. Adding no coloration to the music. Just the way it should be. |
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Gold Member Username: NuckPost Number: 9536 Registered: Dec-04 | If you havn't heard the 7 and 8 series Bowers with Classe power, then you skipped the intended pairing. |
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Silver Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 942 Registered: Jun-07 | I have heard that B&W and Classe are a great pairing. |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY United States Post Number: 1664 Registered: Oct-04 | ...intended pairing aye? |