Tidan, you should do a quick search online for reviews of the 975. It won't take many readings to convince you to at least audition it. The vast majority I've read (both "big names" and more independent types) have all compared it favorably to units costing as much as three times more and beyond. On a personal note, we're using the 975/7125 combo at home and I can say it sounds amazing to us no matter what we play through it, be it movies or music.

Thanks Owl!
My eyes are tired from so much reading....I've been scouring forums, professional reviews, amazon reviews, etc....LOL!
And yes, they get some great reviews for sure!
I just despise buyers remorse from not making a good decision to begin with, and filling the footsteps of my current Yamaha Z1 is no easy feat. I tried a Pioneer Elite, and while its sound would be appeasing if I hadn't listened to my Z1 for so long, it definitely falls short in detail and realism relative to the Z1. So I don't want to take that big of a step down in sound quality but at the same time don't want to spend 3k again on the unit.
If the 975/7125 will fill those shoes then I'd definitly be interested in trying it out...not to mention I really like Outlaws honesty and real-life power measurements for their amps.

Direct comparison is the only way you will know for sure. Like Nancy said, the outbound shipping is your only risk. Not much buyers remorse from that.

How about a comparison between the 975/7125 to a newer yamaha such as the rx-a2020 or rx-a3020?

I supplanted my Yamaha RX-V2600 with the 975/7075 combo. It was my first venture into the world of separates. The difference for me and my wife, was night and day. The audio sounded much clearer, in that the dialogue is much more distinguishable in both movies and music. I did not use the pre-outs connected to the 7075 before I made the switch though. So I'm not sure how the RX-V2600 would sound as a preamp coupled with the 7075.

Helson: Thats good news! So the 975/7075 combo sounded as good or better than your yamaha but you aren't sure if the improvement was due to the 975 or the 7075 if I'm understanding you correctly?
Either way, if I order one I'll probably get the 975/7125 combo - and if it sounds as good as my Z1 I'd be stoked!

Yes, that's right. I wasn't swapping out the Yamaha for any comparison sake. But I did notice the difference with, at least, separates.

If you pull the trigger on the 975/7125, be sure the check back in with the saloon here and let us know what you think, Tidan! I'm sure there's others with similar situations that would like to see how your comparison turns out. Also, some of us are just curious and want to know.

Okay, been running the 975/7125 and have a few observations to share...
To start, the good:
In multichannel mode the sound quality is on par with my older 3000 dollar flagship reciever, the Yamaha RX-Z1. Somewhat different sounding in certain areas, but not neccessarily worse. Overall, more similarities than differences. However, in stereo the 975 was substantially better IMO! Broad sound stage, clear without being bright, and filled the room almost as if it was in multichannel mode. In fact, I got up several times to verify there was no sound coming from the surrounds/rears. Very impressive!
The setup menu I found to be very nice. I don't need a bunch of fancy graphics and the like. Its basic, easy to navigate, and fully functional.
The amplifier is fantastic - loads more power than any reciever I've used.
Outlaws costumer service is fantastic! Far better than that of Yamaha, Denon, Pioneer Elite, etc...in my experience.

Now, the things I think could be improved:
There are a few functional characteristics that I found challenging.
1. There is a 'pop' sound thru the speakers when I turn the unit on. It isn't loud persay, but a bit undignified for a modern day unit.
2. When I am using my HTPC I had to disable the menu sounds entirely as the decoder would switch to 'lock' mode and intermittantly mute menu sounds.
3. If I fast forward a video on my htpc, it would briefly playback raw bitstream noise which was very concerning - as many know, it is a harsh sound that can damage speakers if the volume is up.
4. The front panel display is reminiscent of a old texas instruments calculator. I found it very difficult if not impossible to read from a distance. So every time I switched sources or music formats, I had to walk up to the unit and press the surround mode button on the remote whilst watching the scrolling display to make sure it was the surround mode I wanted.
5. The unit didn't seem to save each inputs surround mode settings so anytime I switched inputs I had to repeatedly click thru the formats to find the one I normally use for that source. As stated in no. 4, everytime I had to do this I was required to walk up to the units display panel.
6. Speaker volume setting increments are in a full db instead of .5 db. I found it difficult to get the exact balance - though this is not a deal breaker as you can get close enough. I just ran the surrounds a half db quiter than they called for.
7. No custom naming for inputs. This isn't a deal breaker either, but it sure would be nice to know which input is which by custom name.

Overall I rate the sound quality high, but the seemingly archaic switching and display proved to be unbecoming of a modern day processor. If you aren't using a HTPC then you may not experience the inadaquecies I did, in which case I'd highly recommend this unit.
The amplifier blows away the amp section of my Z1 and other recievers I've been demoing. Just no comparison in its ability to create authority in the sound and confidence that you will NOT run out of power playing the most dynamic and loud movies and music.

I agree with you about the custom naming limitation. I'd like to be able to rename them a bit, or at least pick from a longer pre-existing list of choices. Something that allows for multiples of the same type would be great. We have two game systems, a CD player, Roku box, and a HTPC hooked up so it's a little bit of a stretch matching a couple of those items up. Not a deal breaker, but it'd be a nice little touch of convenience.

I also notice the popping sound during start up. However, even if I left it up loud, the pop is pretty low key so it isn't anything I've fretted over.

Our HTPC doesn't have any of the problems you mentioned, though. I'm assuming you were using this previously with your Yamaha and didn't have any issues so not really sure what's happening there. Or did you change the output type/connection? Could be something in the PC if that's the case.

I was able to get my levels right on with the one db increments so I guess it's pretty subjective to the listening space how big of a deal that is.

I actually like the display. It's simple and easy for me to read from my seating position. Of course, I'm only about eight feet away. It's also not a glaringly bright beacon that draws my eye from the TV. For me, they got that just right.

I feel that Outlaw got a whole lot more right than wrong on the 975. I can't complain at all about its performance, especially at this price point. There's little things (like the input limits) that I wouldn't mind improving, but it's really pretty nit-picky stuff; nice to have but not show stoppers by any stretch.

Sounds like you're happy overall so far, though?

As for the 7125, I agree wholeheartedly. I grabbed ours a few years ago and added it to my receiver in preparation for moving to separates. It's been a workhorse and doesn't show any signs of slowing down.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Be sure and keep us updated if you find other things to enjoy or condemn.