I’ve yet to find a retro stereo amp that delivers sound as accurately for various genres than this

“If music be the meals of affection, play on; Give me extra of it,” Duke Orsino stated in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Evening.” The soundtrack of my life is stuffed with music that spans genres, so once I hear audio from high-quality gear, I would like these sounds in extra (or INXS, because it have been).

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It is usually a stretch to affiliate the time period “price range” with audiophile-level gear, however the actuality is that merchandise able to producing actually improbable audio include a price ticket. Even my trusted private amp, a NAD D 3020 V2, would not be thought-about close to audiophile degree, but it surely nonetheless prices $500 (and is value each penny).

So, how does the Outlaw Audio RR 2160 Mk 11 Stereo receiver fare for its $950 asking value? Here is my verdict.

My curiosity was piqued for Outlaw’s “price range” amp (we’re speaking a few $1,000 price ticket), so I agreed to have a look. It seems that the co-founder of Outlaw Audio, Peter Tribeman, can be one of many co-founders of NAD, the makers of my private amp and a revered model of high-fidelity audio gear. 

The aesthetic and design philosophy of the RR 2160 Mk II is all about drawing inspiration from the classical designs of outdated artwork deco radios with a glossy, purposeful aesthetic. Let me let you know, they succeeded.

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Once I unboxed the receiver/amp, my first thought was, “this seems old style.” My second thought was about how huge and heavy the amp is. It is a beast; be ready to make use of some muscle to get this child arrange. Here is what the specs seem like:

My expertise

It took me some time to get this monster all arrange, however as soon as it was in place and related, I positioned Rush’s “Alerts” on my Rega P8 turntable, and dropped the needle.

The sound floored me.

I hadn’t ever heard my KEF audio system come to life like that. Each notice, each intonation, each beat was crystal clear. I may hear a separation between the devices in ways in which I hadn’t skilled earlier than. 

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Yeah, it took me all of two songs to neglect about my NAD amp (which is type of unhappy, as a result of I like that little man). This Outlaw Audio amp is simply on one other degree. I can crank this amp up properly past 11, and the sound nonetheless shines. It might not be essentially the most highly effective receiver/amp in the marketplace, however for a 20′ X 20′ room, this child is greater than able to threatening the integrity of my ear drums.

It doesn’t matter what style I threw on the amp, it delivered. Steel, classical, prog rock, shoegaze, you title it, the RR 2160 Mk II has what it takes to make you smile, dance, headbang, or simply stare on the ceiling, misplaced within the waterfall of sound.

This amp’s bass administration particularly caught out to me. My SVS subwoofer has a built-in crossover that does a reasonably good job, however I wished to experiment. Should you’re undecided what a crossover is, it lets you outline what frequency of bass is distributed to the sub. You may determine when you solely need 60Hz for a kick drum punch, or you possibly can increase it to 80Hz or 100Hz to offer the music a beefier backside.

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At first, I allowed my sub to deal with the cross-over and felt the underside finish missing (which was a shock, given how hefty this sub is). Afterward, I made a decision to let the amp tackle the duty, and wow, what a distinction. The bass administration within the RR 2160 Mk II is great.

After I might given the amp loads of time to “burn in” (which actually is not vital with fashionable gear), I placed on considered one of my favourite albums of the yr, the “Godzilla Minus One” unique rating by Naoki Satō. I am a giant Godzilla fan, and having this album on vinyl is an actual deal with. Not like listening to the rating by means of the NAD amp, the RR 2160 Mk II actually gave the music a kaiju-like dimension it hadn’t beforehand loved. 

I cranked the sound as much as -30 dB and felt like I used to be again on the cinema, seeing the movie for the primary time. It was a wall-rattling, gargantuan, lovely expertise.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

I actually cannot say sufficient good issues about this amp. The Outlaw Audio RR 2160 Mk II has all of the connections and outputs you want, stellar bass administration, bass and treble changes, and a large distant, however extra importantly, the sound is basically particular. From the underside to the highest, this amp shines with booming depths and glowing highs. 

The probability of discovering a greater receiver/amp for $1,000 is fairly slim. If you wish to get true, audiophile-quality sound out of your gear, you finest get your arms on considered one of these beauties.

Outlaw Audio RR 2160 Mk II tech specs

• 110 watts per channel, 20Hz – 20kHz, 0.05%
• Seven analog inputs (together with a high-end phono preamp for MM and MC cartridges), an exterior processor loop (similar to for an EQ), and a number of digital inputs for high-resolution audio
• Web radio and streaming: Entry to TuneIn web radio and dual-band Wi-Fi for streaming providers
• Constructed-in bass administration with a real crossover system
• Preamp outputs and fundamental amplifier Inputs
• Main and secondary speaker outputs
• Two sub outputs (with switchable crossover)
• Weight: 36 lbs
• App out there for streaming

This text was initially printed on July 23, 2024, and was up to date on Could 7, 2025.