Well, my 1050 arrived Friday, May 10th. Thanks to those of you who read and responded to my "I'm Researched Out - I Must Decide" post. As you know, I was torn between the 1050 & a Marantz SR5200. My decision was due to internet reviews, your feedback, and the reported ease of use of the 1050. I think the "M" brand is good, with a clean sound, but maybe a bit conservative, and overall not as spunky as the 1050 (I also ike being able to try different levels and settings during a program, without a screen menu popping up). I decided to take a risk and be an Outlaw! The drawback was no PLII or 6.1 DTS. After a week of use, here is my report: 1.) I decided to give PLI a try. I listen to a lot of TV and VHS (no DVD player yet), and I know PLII is recommended. But it's a matter of mono vs stereo in the L/R surrounds. I only had two stereo speakers before, so PLI with 5.1 had to be better. Once I got the speaker placement correct and the system dialed in, PLI is very satisfying. 2.) From what I've learned, the 1050 will deliver 6.1 in DTS and DTS-ES if I get a DVD player with DTS decoding, so I thought "OK, I can get around that situation". 3.) Most say that the "natural" mode is best for TV listening and even some VHS. What I did was spend a lot of time with a section of a VHS movie in the "Surround" PLI setting. At a comfortable volume in the L/R fronts, I then dialed in the center front, relative to the L/R fronts, with the trim control (right now at 0db). Then came the L/R sourrounds. They ended up at +3db. My sub is at 1/2 volume (12 o'clock), with the Outlaw sub setting at +6db. Now, for TV - I find I still like the "Surround" setting the best ("Natural" is OK, and I'll probably go to it once in a while, depending on the broadcast signal). But what I've been doing with TV is simply adjust my VHS movie setting. With the trim controls, I drop the center front to -2db, the surrounds up to +9db, and the sub up to +8db. It sounds great. So, I can watch a movie or TV in the same mode (surround), and only adjust the trim controls accordingly)
I haven't spent much time with CD yet, but what I've listened to is excellent. So - until I get a DVD player, which is when I'm trusting the 1050 to outperform the "M" brand, I'm very happy with PLI. So, for those of you who might be as torn as I was between PLII and other features and brands, I hope this helps. I took into consideration, the expected overall performance for the long haul - and I chose the 1050. I'm happy. And the power and sound is not conservative. It's powerful and true. I'm glad to an Outlaw!
Mayor D.
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