Hi- My system consists of a Marantz SR-680 AV reciever, Sony DVP-S300 DVD player, Yamaha CDC-655 CD player, Mirage M-890i Main Speakers, Mirage FRX-center Center Channel Speaker, Mirage FRX-3 Surround Speakers, and a Klipsch KSW12 Subwoofer. I am looking at upgrading the AV receiver, and would appreciate any suggestions or comments regarding the Outlaw 1050 (or the 950/750 seperates).

Thanks-
Karl

All's I can say is I love it! Give it a listen.

Karl,

You would be hardpressed to find another quality receiver like the 1050 in it's price range. I owned a Technics 100w X 6 per channel and doesn't come close to the 1050 in sound or power.

You will not be disappointed in going Outlaw.

Karl
The general opinion around here is that the 1050 is a wonderful product -- it has been out for close to two years now, and has developed a following of very loyal owners (myself included!). It's a great piece of equipment, backed by some of the best customer support you can find and a user base that's very willing to help answer questions as well.

As for the 950/750 combo (or the 950/770 if you wanted to step up to 7.1), every indication coming in from the beta testers is that the 950 is a real winner. It'll cost you a lot more than 1050, and won't be available for possibly two more months unless you're already high on the reservation list.

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Gonk

I myself am looking into the 1050 for my next receiver. Right now I feel it is at the top of the list. There are a couple of things I have concerns with, however, and Gonk's response has triggered me to write this. The 1050 has been out for nearly 2 years. Isn't it about time for a little update? The big boys are starting to catch up. I'm contemplating between the 1050, Denon 2802, and Onkyo 595 or 696. The Onkyos have PLII but not 6.1 channel capabilities. The Denon has both AND it has DTS 6.1 capabilities for not much more money. It also has 90 wpc vs 65 for the 1050. I think I can live without the PLII (or at least that's what I'm telling myself) but I would like the 1050 to include DTS 6.1 capabilities and for that matter discrete 6.1 for both DD and DTS. Obviously this would increase the price a bit, but I think it is well worth it. Everything else could stay the same. I'm going to sit tight a little while longer and see what pans out. My hope is that Outlaw will make these changes before my purchase.

The 1050 will typically compare with receivers up to (and in some cases beyond) 100wpc -- there's not likely to be much difference between the Denon's 90 and the 1050's 65. As for the feature list, Outlaw may surprise us (they're threatening to at least!), but it's likely to be a while before we see a successor to the 1050. They've indicated that they plan to produce a replacement, but they're not putting it at the top of the list -- probably because it is still competing very well, and judging from the last few newsletters sales of the 1050 have been increasing steadily over the last few months. A successor would surely have DTS-ES (discrete and matrix 6.1), DPLII, and Dolby EX (and I'm not certain, but I don't think even Dolby EX is true "discrete" 6.1 -- the surround rear is only matrixed on Dolby EX and THX EX unless I'm mistaken). I know that doesn't help you a lot, speed3, but it's the best info I can give. There are a couple features that the 1050 can't offer that are becoming available in its price range, but it is still a very solid, reliable, fun piece of hardware.

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Gonk

As a previous owner of a Marantz SR-870, with 110 watts to the fronts and 75 to the rears, the 1050 blows it away! The Marantz sold originally for $1000, the biggest advantage was the RC-2000 remote which could operate a toaster if it were remote-controllable! The 1050 seems to have more dynamic reserves. I really like the flexible crossover, as it allows a good match for most speaker systems. I used to have a NAD/Rotel, preamp/amp setup prior to the Marantz. The 1050 has brought me REALLY close to that setup sonically(in fact,I can't think of any major differences). So there you go. At $499 it is still a great value.

Give it a shot - you have 30 days and an excellent customer service base. If it doesn't measure up (which I'm sure it will) simply send it back. As for the 90 wpc vs. the 65 - this unit will surprise you.

speed3,
I was down to the same 3 or 4 receivers but I just ordered the 1050 last week (UPS tracking says its on a truck wandering around trying to find my dead end street ). I went with the 1050 because of its reputation, Onkyo has stopped producing the 595 and its out of stock at any of good internet vendors, and the Denon 2802 is only competitive if you get it from a non-authorized vendor, a chance I did'nt want to take. I also thought that any receiver that gets budget receiver of the year from both SGHT and Perfect Vision must be as good as advertized.


[This message has been edited by jgambino (edited February 14, 2002).]

I ordered my 1050 at 11pm Monday and had it in my livingroom at 9:30am on Wednesday, before the email with the tracking number arrived! Though I haven't had a lot of time to play with it yet, I'm certainly impressed with the quality of the unit. No doubt in my mind that Outlaw was the right choice. Looking forward to the weekend to fully explore the 1050's features.