I had been searching for a good stereo integrated amp or receiver, and when I read the Stereophile review, I was convinced that the RR2150 was made specifically for me.

However, 2 friends of mine (from out of state) both said that when they heard one, it sounded great on Jazz/Classical but not so hot with Rock/Metal and Hip Hop.

I'm looking for something that will play well with more mainstream modern music as well as handle the Jazz/Classical... should I look elsewhere? I wouldn't want to get the 2150 if it's too dry an analytical to be able to play some blazing Metal.

MoonlitMatt, I have a Denon 2400 receiver and rock music sounded really bad with this receiver but it sounds fine now that I have Two Clever Little Clocks in my room. I have a RR2150 on the way, I can't wait!

holy **** !!!like, enough!!!moonlitmatt,i don't have a 2150,got the original 1050.i'd bet the 2150 could do it with metal.

Painttoad- "Enough!!" of what? That was my first post... I'm confused as to what anything in your reply means, please elaborate!

HiFiSoundGuy- Yeah, I used to have a mid 90's Dennon stereo receiver and it really didn't have the "umph" to drive good hard rock.

Maybe I just needed some Clever Little Clocks.

But really, anyone with a serious reply?

moonlitMatt,sorry,was carrying over from another post about them 'clocks.that 'enough' was not directed at you

I'm afraid that I haven't met an RR2150 face-to-face, but hopefully some others will drop by and report their experiences with the 2150. My suspicion is similar to painttoad's, though - I wouldn't rule it out for some good hard rock. Are you considering using the 2150's bass management to feed a subwoofer?

Perhaps in the future I would add a sub, but for now it will be driving a pair of Athena F2.2 floor speakers. They have some pretty kickin' bass by themselves.

I've had the 2150 since mid-December. When I got it it smelled smokey, like it was in a building that burned down. The smell is gone now. The front panel controls for the tuner suck, not intuitive at all. It's impossible to use this as it resets with every attempt. I called Outlaw about it and they said they would look into it and call me back but they never did. The remote is acceptable though.

The sound is great! I can make out each instrument and the vocals as if they are in the room. I bought the LFM-2 at the same time and the sound is great, not boomy like I expected, but bassey. My speakers are 15 year old KEF C85. I have a 15 year old Denon CD player and I just bought a NAD 533 turntable. The sound is very nice and I can crank the volume up all the way with no distortion. I listen to jazz, blues, classical, country. I can't stand metal or hippity hoppity music but I don't know why the 2150 wouldn't sound good with this kind of music as well. I love the USB port as I can connect my laptop to the receiver and play my MP3 collection.

Sorry I don't know the audiophile BS like "open soundstage, light creamy sound, feathery mid-range, blah, blah, blah". It sounds like a bunch of BS to justify charging tens of thousands of dollars for $100 worth of parts. I'm an automotive engineer with a masters degree in mechanical engineering so I know whereof I speak. Strip away the fancy marketing and it boils down to every part on the car was sourced to the lowest bidder.

But I digress. I'm very happy with the 2150 and the LFM-2 and the quality and sound is much better than I expected. It was a pleasure to call Outlaw and have a real person answer the phone and know what they are talking about. Now if they only made speakers and CD players.

Matt, I suspect your friends reactions were more to do with the speakers than the electronics. Possibly the wire connecting the speakers is less than 12 gauge--which I have found makes a dramatic improvement in bass. Another factor maybe the engineering quality of the rock and hip hop recordings vs jazz and classical I'm a baby boomer so my rock tastes would be, 60's early 70's, and my 2150 does a great job. No complaints--of any kind. There is nothing i've heard that beats a 2150 that isn't several times the price. I'm biased I've had mine since Jan. and it's a true pleasure when I get to spend time just listening for hours on end. Find someone who has one or better yet, just order it and listen to it yourself when you've found the speakers you want.
I listen to all kinds of stuff, classical, jazz, bluegrass,lbues, and rock and haven't found the receiver leaving me wanting or with anything I don't want. Trust your own ears.