Outlaw Audio Launches ICBM

May 9. 2001

Outlaw Audio, Inc., the only consumer electronics company to offer its own line of high performance, high value audio products exclusively via the Internet, is launching an ICBM during the New York Home Entertainment Show. Hitting its target right at the heart of the emerging DVD-Audio/SACD product category, the prototype Outlaw ICBM is on display during the show in room 941, in joint demonstrations with DolbyÆ Laboratories.Where conventional ICBMs are infamous for the destruction they cause, Outlawís ICBM, or Integrated Controlled Bass Manager, is a sonic missile that will be welcomed by audiophiles for its ability to control and enhance the low frequency sound quality of music and home theatre. The ICBM also prevents damage to audio systems that may be caused by the absence of bass management in DVD-Audio and SACD players, as well as on the six-channel inputs found on most surround processors and home theatre receivers.As one Outlaw noted, ìWe surveyed the market for DVD-Audio and SACD playback systems, and found that a major problem was developing due to the lack of bass management on both the playback and processor side of the equation. We listened to the concerns of our customers and the audiophile community, as well as the press, and decided to correct this problem with our own proprietary design solution. We will, of course, be offering it to the public with the same level of features, pricing and support that they have come to expect from us.îA slim, one rack-unit high, the ICBM allows individual adjustment of the bass redirection crossover point for each logical channel pair in a home theatre system. With the ICBM, the front left/right, front center, surround left/right, and rear center speakers may be individually set to roll-off bass information at 40 Hz, 60 Hz, 80 Hz, 100 Hz, or 120 Hz. A bypass position for individual channel pairs where bass management is not needed allows the listener to tailor the settings to the driver configuration. Bass information is then properly routed to the main channel speakers, or to a subwoofer. This capability, though standard in digital audio systems for standard inputs, is missing in virtually all DVD-Audio or SACD players, due to the use of analog outputs on the player and analog pass-through inputs on the receiver. Without the use of the ICBM, low frequency performance is compromised and damage to individual speaker components can occur.In addition to the wide range of crossover points, the ICBM is unique in its ability to divide a bass signal into stereo, as well as single, mono subwoofers, by summing the bass from each side of the soundstage to an individual subwoofer output. This is an exclusive ICBM feature.Recognizing that DVD-Audio and SACD are music systems, the ICBM accommodates the large, front left/right speakers with extended low frequency capabilities found in many audiophile systems. Optionally, the ICBM allows bass information to be sent to both the subwoofer and the front speakers, a feature not found in many audio products. A simple rear panel switch controls this redirection.There are separate controls on the front panel for both subwoofer output level and LFE boost. The latter provides up to 10dB of LFE injection to fine-tune the low frequency output for maximum impact.For optimum performance of the subwoofer with the frequency specifications of certain speaker and processor systems, a rear panel switch allows the signal to be set at either a 12dB- or 24dB-per octave slope.While primarily aimed at the new market of high resolution audio playback formats, the ICBM is also useful in home theatre systems where the digital bass management provided in a receiver or processor does not meet the listener_s requirements for clean, accurate, and precise bass redirection.The ICBM was designed in the U.S. by Outlawís own engineering team. This 100 percent analog design maintains signal integrity by avoiding an additional A/D and D/A conversion stage. High quality components are used throughout, including gold-plated RCA jacks for inputs and outputs, metal film resistors, low noise op amps and high quality film capacitors.The ICBM will be launched exclusively on the Internet, starting in July, at $249. Outlaw customers who have purchased a Model 750 amplifier or Model 1050 receiver will be eligible for an additional ìfamilyî discount. To assure priority delivery of the ICBM, customers will be able to place their name on a reservation list at the Outlaw Web site www.outlawaudio.com starting on May 20, 2001.For more information about Outlaw Audio, visit www.outlawaudio.com.

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