General Asylum: REVIEW: Outlaw 750 Amplifier (SS) by Charlie Burch

It may be an oxymoron, but I like to think of myself as a value-conscious audio enthusiast. I believe there are components that offer great bang for the buck. After reading the reviews of the Outlaw 750, I figured if I didnâ€™t like it, I could always send it back.

Nevertheless, when a product is available only on the Internet, I have nagging doubts. What if everyone who worked at Outlaw had a relative write a glowing review? What if Outlaw cherry-picked the units sent to magazines for review, but their typical production unit was very sloppy? In short, what if all of this was a vast conspiracy to defraud me? (Not that Iâ€™m paranoid or anythingâ€¦)

Ordered it on a Friday night, and it arrived the following Wednesday, as promised. Shipping weight was 68 pounds. The transformer weighs as much as a small motorcycle. I made the mistake of having it shipped to my office. I borrowed a hand truck from our warehouse to schlep it from my car to my 4th floor apartment.

The Outlaw was replacing a Harman Kardon PA5800, which I still believe represents great bang for the buck. What prompted my interest in the Outlaw was the purchase of a pair of Maggie MMGs. Planars like LOTS of power, especially when the preamp is passive (Creek Audio OBH-12). The Outlaw is rated at 250 watts per channel on a 4-ohm load. Take THAT, Maggies!

Plunk a disc in the Cambridge Audio D500 CD player, sit back, andâ€¦.

The first thing I noticed was the depth of the soundstage. The sweet spot for the Maggies extended at least 3 feet. Ironically, when describing this hulking amp named Outlaw, the sound is delicate. There was more detail and clarity on both the high and low end.

For the next 2 days before I went to work I put in a CD, selected random play, and left the amp to burn in a bit. I also wanted to see how the finned aluminum heat sinks handled heat without a cooling fan. When I returned home 12 hours later, the amp was slightly warm to the touch, but nothing alarming. (My Denon receiver, on during the same period, was noticeably warmer). The heat sinks do their job without a fan, which means quieter operation and greater reliability. (Iâ€™ve never heard of bearings failing on a heat sink!)

So why does a self-described â€˜value-conscious audio enthusiastâ€™ buy a 5-channel amp to drive a stereo system? Because the remaining 3 channels are used to drive the front and center channels of my home theater. (Toshiba 3109 into a Denon AVR-1800, with I preamp out to the Outlaw, powering Sound Dynamics RTS-P100 fronts and a SD C-2 center channel.). The Outlaw is more than capable to handle home theatre duties.

Swapping the Planar speakers for Sound Dynamics RTS P100s in stereo mode let the Outlaw shine with box speakers as well. In Ricki Lee Jonesâ€™ recording of â€œDannyâ€™s All-Star Jointâ€, the bass was full and controlled, the percussive brass shone with the dynamic response of the Outlaw. Some power amps are not refined, you hear loudness more than music when you push them hard. The Outlaw only sounds out of breath when pushed to volume levels that are ridiculously uncomfortable.

Do the math. 5 channels @ $1100 = $220 per channel. If anyone wants to tell me where I can buy five channels that sound this good and have this much power for $1100, Iâ€™m all ears.

In short, the Outlaw 750 is one of those rate commodities: a product that would sell for much more through traditional retail channels, from a company that offers excellent response time and customer service. You will have to spend over $1800 to get a demonstrably superior amplifier.

REVIEW: Outlaw 750 Amplifier (SS) Review by Charlie Burch at Audio Asylum