Andrew Robinson began his career as an art director in entertainment advertising in 2003, after graduating from Art Center College of Design. In 2006, he became a creative director at Crew Creative Advertising, and oversaw the agency's Television Division, where he worked for clients such as TNT, TBS, History, FX, and Bravo to name a few. He now has one of the most popular AV-related channels on YouTube.
Outlaw Audio has been a pioneer in the Internet direct home theater and two channel marketplace for many years, providing high performance and truly affordable products to the masses. The Model 7500 multi-channel amplifier reviewed here at $1,599 retail is no exception.
The 7500 is a five channel amplifier rated at 200 watts per channel into eight Ohms and 300 watts per channel into four with all five channels being driven simultaneously. It has a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz with less than three percent total harmonic distortion. The 7500's substantial power is housed in a rather unassuming black chassis that while plain in nature has subtle design cues, like rounded edges, that make it appear far more upscale than its price would have you believe. The 7500 is a solid unit measuring in at a little over 17 inches wide by seven and three quarters inches tall and 18 inches deep; while large the 7500 is still easily rack mountable. The 7500, due to its large power transformer, tips the scales at a robust 80 pounds.
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The 7500 features both balanced and unbalanced inputs each of which are selectable via a simple switch and five pairs of very robust and sturdy binding posts that can accept spade or banana terminated speaker cable as well as bare wire. The rear panel of the 7500 features a master on/off switch, remote trigger and a detachable power cord. The build quality and layout of the 7500 front to back is exceptional and better than some so-called higher end products.
In terms of sound the 7500 is far more refined than what I was expecting and is equally suited for both music and movies. The midrange is the 7500's strong suit and though its high frequency performance isn't shabby, it just doesn't quite have the air or extension you'll find in more expensive amplifiers. In terms of bass performance the 7500 has plenty of heft and slam though at extreme volumes it does lose a bit of control making the lowest octaves sound a bit one dimensional. Again, this isn't anything to lose sleep over, as I can think of far costlier amplifiers that suffer from the same ailments.
Read Page 2 for The High Points, Low Points and Conclusion
High Points
• For just under $1,600 retail the level of performance the Outlaw Audio Model 7500 brings to the table is staggering.
• The 7500's build quality is superb as is its practicality and reliability.
• The 7500 midrange, crucial for most music and movie soundtracks, is among the best in its class.
• The 7500's high frequency performance is surprising and better than a
lot of the competition this side of $3,000. Keep the volume just south
of insanity and the 7500's high frequency performance will retain all of
its sparkle, air, extension and musicality for hours of fatigue-free
listening.
• The bass performance is rock solid, exhibiting tremendous control and
texture, not to mention depth, down to nearly the lowest registers.
Low Points
• If you're one to flog your system by taking it to 11, the 7500 will
play along, however it will come at the expense of high frequency and
lower bass performance.
• The 7500 is a bit more prone to AC line noise than other amplifiers
I've encountered. Connect it to a quality line conditioner with enough
juice to handle the 7500's load and you should be fine.
• The 7500 does run a bit warm so proper ventilation is required to ensure the 7500 operates at its best for years to come.
Conclusion
The 7500 multi-channel amplifier from Outlaw Audio is one of the best,
affordable home theater amplifiers out there today. With a retail price
of $1,599 I can think of no other amplifier that comes close to matching
the 7500's overall performance for the same money. Sure there are
glitzier amps out there, even ones that may sound better in some
capacity but none that do pretty much everything right without calling
attention to themselves quite the way the 7500 does. How confident am I
that the 7500 is a great amp for the budding home theater enthusiast or
any home theater enthusiast for that matter? I own one and enjoy it
everyday.
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