# Emotiva -vs- Outaw (pre/pro) . Help me choose :)



## Picture_Shooter (Dec 23, 2007)

Hey all -

Looking to getting my first pre/pro setup (7-channel).

My question to you all is which is the better quality / reliable combo to go with between:

Outlaw 975 + 7075 (7x75W) 

and

Emotiva UMC-200 + UPA-700 (7x80W)

I prefer not to mis-match 

Thanks all,


----------



## 8086 (Aug 4, 2009)

_*Onkyo!*_

If you check the for sale section, Sonnie is selling a nice pacakge deal on a great Onkyo Pre-Pro. But if I must pick between the two, I would choose Outlaw. Which happens to be a rebadge of another brand. 

[BANANA]I don't recall which _brands_ that it was a rebadge of. Someone find the article[/BANANA]


----------



## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

8086, weren't the Outlaws based on Sherwood products? I can't remember as its been a while since I read much about them. Actually, thinking about it now, the name totally makes sense... Outlaw... Sherwood (_forest_). I guess I never made the connection before. I'm slow, leave me alone.


----------



## Stereojeff (Apr 23, 2012)

Outlaw's 990 preamp/processor was based on the Sherwood Newcastle P-965. None of Outlaw's current offerings are based on any Sherwood or Newcastle models.

Jeff


----------



## BruceW (Feb 5, 2013)

Yes go with Onkyo..


----------



## 8086 (Aug 4, 2009)

Owen Bartley said:


> 8086, weren't the Outlaws based on Sherwood products? I can't remember as its been a while since I read much about them. Actually, thinking about it now, the name totally makes sense... *Outlaw... Sherwood (forest*). I guess I never made the connection before. I'm slow, leave me alone.


:rofl2::rofl::jokelaugh::thumb::cowboy:



Stereojeff said:


> Outlaw's 990 preamp/processor was based on the Sherwood Newcastle P-965. None of Outlaw's current offerings are based on any Sherwood or Newcastle models.
> 
> Jeff


There were about four or five companies using the same design. One of them was a real expensive boutique brand. It may have been audioholics who did the complete teardown of the units. I don't quite recall whom or how or where I saw it (probably in 2012). I think it may have come via one of those monthly emails.


----------



## jevans64 (Dec 24, 2012)

Amplifier Technologies, Inc. ( ATI ) builds Outlaw's amps. The Outlaw and Emotiva pre-pros suffer from not having a boatload of cash to dump into R&D. Emotiva's XMC-1 has been delayed several times and Outlaw's 978? 998? has been shelved for good it seems. The Emotiva UMC-200 and Outlaw 975 come in at roughly the same price point and are considered entry-level pre-pro's.

I would go with a mainstream receiver, like Denon/Marantz, Onkyo, Yamaha, etc., but get one that has preamp outs. The price-point is high for a Denon AVR with preamp out but the Onkyo TX-NR809 or 818 has them for a lot less than the Denon AVR. Denon, Onkyo have the R&D budgets necessary to do a full-featured AVR with top-notch room correction, like Audyssey, and offer them at attractive prices. You can probably pick up a refurbished Onkyo from Accessories4less for slightly more than the cost of a UMC-200 or Outlaw 975.

The Onkyo TX-NR818 ( $780 @ A4L ) gives you Audyssey MultEQ XT32 which samples up to 8 positions and can EQ multiple subs. Emotiva and Outlaw can't touch that.

I have several pieces of Emotiva gear but their track record is poor as far as pre-pros go. Not really their fault as they bite off more than they can chew with these products. Similar with Outlaw.


----------



## Picture_Shooter (Dec 23, 2007)

Good to see this thread still active! 

I decided to go with Emotiva and got it all hooked up, and yes it sounds wonderful with the UMC-200 doing the processing


----------



## jackfish (Dec 27, 2006)

Excellent, congratulations!


----------



## fschris (Oct 31, 2009)

i want to get that umc-200.... seems look a good above entry level Pre Pro that has some nice features. I though about getting a onkyo 818 but i want to have more control over tweaking which the UMC will allow.


----------



## BruceW (Feb 5, 2013)

Nice congratulation..!!


----------

