wkas

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
3.50 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $500.00 from Direct from Outlaw

Summary:
An excellent-sounding receiver for anyone looking for two-channel reproduction. Ultimately, it was a little too quirky and had features that I didn't use, plus it was a lot more power than I needed, so I've swapped it out for a different product.

It sounded terrific with both Paradigm Studio Reference 20''s, and then with Dali 6's. Very lifelike sound with plenty of presence, but neutral in coloration. Great on voices, superb soundstaging (especially with the Dali's).

But for my small office, it was too much power, and unless you have a way to attenuate the gain on your source components, you may have a lot of trouble getting a comfortable listening level, particularly with the remote. Some people recommended that I install attenuators between the source components and the Outlaw, but I decided not to bother, and bought a different unit, since I wasn't useing the subwoofer output, the tuner, the tone controls, or the MP3 player plug-in.

So unless you've got a big room, relatively inefficient speakers, and/or source components that have variable output, this might not be for you. On the other hand, Outlaw does have a 30 day "no questions asked" guarantee (I wish that I'd used it, but I waited to long).

Strengths:
Superb sound for the money; you'd be hard-pressed fo find sound this good at this price.

Headphone jack has separate volume control.

Weaknesses:
Impossible to find comfortable listening level at low volume using the remote control.

Kind of ugly.

Similar Products Used:
NAD 325BEE
Music Hall A25.2

Price Paid:  $649.00 from Outlaw Audio

Summary:
I spent quite a bit of time trying to find something to drive my speakers when I stumbled across the RR2150. It's getting surprisingly difficult to find equipment that sounds good in a two channel setup, without blowing a ton of cash but the Outlaw has definitely left me more than satisfied. Since there are so few two channel recievers or integrateds anymore, I seemed to keep coming back to the NAD and Rotel integrated and seperates. Both were nice, though I preferred the Rotel, but I wasn't entirely satisfied. The Rotels, while nice, seemed like a stopgap that would leave me dreaming of even higher end amps and preamps. For the money, they honestly didn't blow me away, and make it a clear choice for me. A friend recommended taking a chance on the Outlaw, and figuring I could return it if it didn't work out, I gave it a shot. I had relatively low expectations(but high hopes), and I was shocked. It's a beast! Is it the end all and be all of amplification? No. But it's half the price of Rotel seperates, and any difference in sound is pretty neglegible. I haven't really found anything under a couple grand that can compete. Give it a shot.

Strengths:
Power, Power Power! Definitely more than you would expect, and extremely clean.
Looks pretty neat(or at least unique, it's a matter of opinion).
Great customer service, and return policy to minimize any risk.
Built like a russian tank.
You could be the coolest kid on your block!

Weaknesses:
Everyone complains about the volume control, though this didn't seem like a big deal to me. It's really not that bad, and you get used to it.
Being the envy of all my friends.

Similar Products Used:
Denon, Onkyo, Nad, Yamaha, Marantz

Lunartick

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
4.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $649.00 from Outlaw Audio

Summary:
It really is a shame that there are not more units like this one out there to choose from. Outlaw has created a unique product that has no peer. Fit & finish is flawless. Performance is outstanding. The functionality is superb. I use it with a variety of speaker setups, primarily 2.1 stereo. I like to play around and try something different once in a while. I've used it with Infinity, Polk and Radiient speakers and different combinations of subwoofers, trying different settings with the bass management and just having fun. This thing has more fun factor than anything I have played with for years. I am always able to get excellent performance with any of the setups I have tried, it can adapt to just about anything and with excellent results with a just a little tweaking. Mucho enjoyment from this little guy.

Strengths:
Very flexible unit that can adapt to different setups with ease.

Fit & finish is outstanding. A nice break from the very common black finish of most everything else out there.

Seems to have plenty of nice clean power and just sounds great.

Weaknesses:
Very minor gripe with remote volume control. Not a big deal with since I like to put my hands on the stuff anyway. Very minor.

Similar Products Used:
Yamaha, Kenwood, Harman Kardon

Price Paid:  $649.00 from Outlaw Website

Summary:
Let me first state that this review is a positive one, and that I recommend that folks purchase this receiver, just as long as they know about the bad parts of what they are about to get into. Also, it's a 2007, not a 2006, but the drop-down menu wouldn't let me pick 2007...

Okay, just put together a system that set me back maybe $2400 after the whole deal was taxed, racked, shipped, and cabled. The other pieces are a Rega Apollo CD player, and a used pair of Dahlquist DQ-20 speakers.

When the Outlaw arrived, it sounded like a dentist drill in a metal trash can. All harsh treble and no low end whatsoever. I was shocked. So I let the thing run pretty much non-stop for several days, and it started to get better. Must've been about 2 weeks by the time the bass appeared.

During this time I decided I couldn't stand the remote, really couldn't stand the vague "serving suggestion" volume control, and wanted to get it replaced before the return-for-refund window elapsed. So I borrowed a Rotel RA-1062 from one dealer and a used Quad 34/405-2 preamp & amp from another and went home. I also borrowed a used Rega Apollo as mine hadn't (and still hasn't!) arrived, and I wanted to test the thing in its soon-to-be natural habitat. Hooking up the Apollo took care of my sound-quality complaints, so on that score it was the source, not the RR2150, which was sucking.

After me & better-eared cohort oohed and aahed over the Apollo, we hooked up the Rotel. Took maybe a minute to unhook it and decide that we wouldn't pick it no matter how pretty and tiny it was nor how solid and unsh*tty-feeling its volume knob. Plus the Rotel dweebs put the speaker hookup dealies about 1mm to far apart to accept banana plugs. Jerks! But the bottom line was the sound and, copared to the Outlaw, the Rotel was thin, flat, dull, and so-so. Nowhere near in the same league. I know some reviewers say these two pieces of gear sound alike, but I DISAGREE.

Quad put up a better fight, but also lost. The Outlaw sounded bigger and more pleasing; you know, it pushed air, had weight, etc. Which is sad, 'cuz I wanted out from under this amp in the worst way. It's now-it-changes-now-it-don't input selector and the JOKE of a volume control which the designers defend in their forum (guess they never saw a Rotel or my ancient Kenwood with fully functional, feels-like-a-knob, reasonably incremental volume controls), plus its enourmous bulk and groovy "styling" wanted offa my rack in the worst way.

But I kept it. After eating shipping on the Outlaw and paying sales tax on the Rotel, I'd be in for about another $150, and - bottom line - the Outlaw sounds better, WAY better. But be warned, the "ergonomics" of this thing blow. Just be like me & grit your teeth as you blast tunes and save for a Creek Destiny integrated amp & sell the Outlaw to some future upgraded via Audigone, eBay, craigslist, etc.

Let's face it, at this price, you gotta put up with soul-crushing compromises, and, at the end of the day, I choose to compromise on "user interface" if I get to not budge on sound quality.

Haven't fiddled with the radio, or played any vinyl, so no clue as to that stuff. Hope this helps someone, this quest has been quite the hair-pull for yours truly.

Strengths:
Likely the best sound your gonna get at this price point

Can drive my Dahlquists, and reportedly can drive electrostatic speaks as well, so must be sufficiently "high current"

Revealing enough of musical detail to justify spending a megabuck on a CDP like I did

Oodles of power

Weaknesses:
Play in the volume knob

Yucky feeling volume knob

Volume "bounces back" when you turn it up or down

Remote is big, ugly, and covered with 100 little buttons

Remotes that come with $150 Aiwa bookshelf systems are WAY better

Remote volume adjusts volume in maybe 3 or 4 increments from silent to full

Input selector blows

Similar Products Used:
Rotel RA-1062, Quad 34 preamp & 405-2 amplifier

View Comments (1)

Would you like to Comment?
Join audioReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

Garth

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
4.80 of 5, 5.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Outlaw

Summary:
This is an excellent receiver. After trying multiple brands,including Yamaha,Harman Kardon,Marantz,NAD,Denon,Sony and Onkyo ...... this sounds the best to me. I'd describe the sound as pleasant and neutral, as opposed to NAD's dullnes(some call it warm) and Yamaha/Denon/Onkyo's brightness and harshness. I'm not an audio perfectionist so I offer no critical assesments here other than the above. I know the sound I like when I hear it, and the RR2150 is spot on for me.

The tone controls are very good, with an added ability to boost the bass +6db at 55,65 or 80 hz.frequencies. The headphone output (with an additional volume control) is very good, and no background noise, something hard to find these days on integrated amps/receivers. No need for a seperate headphone amp for me.

The build quality appears to be very good, but I really have no way to quantify it other than everything works well and feels solid.

All audio needs to be tried out in your listening enviroment , not a retail studio, so buy one . These are sold only thru Outlaw, so you have no outside influences other than your own mind on how it sounds to you. The 30 day trial period is more than enough time to figure that out, and if you don't like it you can return it.

Strengths:
Neutral, pleasant sound. Plenty of power for a modest user.

The amp is quiet, good noise filtering.

I like the silver face, as opposed to the popular black these days.

Very good headphone output w/ additional volume control.

A USB input to play digital files.

Weaknesses:
The input knob is overly sensitive, you have to move it slowly or use the remote.

The volume control with the remote could be better, the motorized volume control has a high gain for each tap of the remote.

An average tuner.

Similar Products Used:
HK 3480,Denon DRA series, Yamaha RX-777 & CR-820,NAD C-372