Amps and Prepro Gurus, give your input on these components...

[nick4433]

I am looking for some input from someone who has heard or compared the Outlaw 990 with other processors and would like to get some impressions.
I would also like some input or feedback on the bottom line Emotiva processor. I will be shifting my receiver (used as a pre) to my bonus room and am in the hunt for a budget prepro.
I don't care about DVI, HDMI or anything else. All I want is solid music and movie reproduction. Thanks.

[Artk]

In my opinion the Outlaw setup doesn't sound as good as the Arcam AVR300. Although that is one heck of a receiver seperates of any kind should out perfrom it and the Outlaw does not. The Outlaw pre/pro is the problem not the power amp. The Outlaw simply does not give the kind of performance with music that you would hope for. I use my NAD T763 AVR as a source component and turn it off altogether when listening to 2 channel music using my NAD C162 pre and Hafler Transnova 9505 power amp. Here is how it works.

"Use the AVR as yet another source component hooked up to the video or aux on your pre and to power the center and rears. Leave the AVR off completely when listening to 2 channel. I go from the L/R front pre outs on the AVR to the video in on my NAD C162 pre. The C162 pre has 2 sets of pre outs. I use 1 set to go to the power amp and the other to go to the sub so that I have use of the sub for both 2 channel and home theater. I have to set the pre amp volume control to a set mark when I calibrate the home theater and return it to that setting every time I listen to it. It's key to remember to turn it back down before returning to 2 channel use or you can blow your fronts. It's a bit of pain but well worth it to me for better 2 channel music performance."

That is a quote from one of my posts over at ecoustics. Anyway that's how I have solved the dilemma of great 2 channel sound in a multichannel world.