hi guys--i'm on the verge of making some decisions--this is my 1st home theater, and i have bought a mits 55809. i now need to get the audio done.

i'm almost certainly going to get the diva 4.1/c3/2.1 setup, and need some input on the receiver, which i've narrowed down to these 3.

so, some questions--i like the outlaw philosophy and the reviews look good. do i care about component switching? my hdtv already has 3 component inputs, which are filled by our xbox, panny rp56 dvd and the dish 6000 hdtv reciever. is there any benefit to a receiver with video component switching? and if i go with the 1050, am i correct in assuming that i will have to plug the audio from these sources into the receiver, leave the video where they are--plugged into the mits--and switch the video feed and audio feed separately and manually?

next question: do i care that the 1050 has no prologic2? i do listen to cds, and have a few videotapes, but it's mostly gonna be a dvd/hdtv system. if my reciever has no pl2, can i still listen to cd's thru all 5 speakers, or only the front 2?

many thanks from a newbie

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our whole *&& life is a
wreck!

Welcome to the forum, Peter.

Going directly from the source device (DVD, HD decoder, XBox, whatever) to the display is the ideal scenario as it simplifies the signal path. Component video switching on receivers in the <$1000 range may not be ideal for handling HD or progressive scan video, so in your case there probably isn't any benefit to component video switching. You are correct in assuming that you will connect the audio to the 1050 and leave the video alone. All three of your sources have optical digital outputs, so you may want to look into one Optical to Coax converter box.

For a primarily DVD/HD setup, Pro-Logic II is not as critical as for a system that sees a lot of standard-def TV and VHS watching or a lot of CD playback that wants to use surround. I've been playing with Pro-Logic II Music on the Model 950 a little this week, and while I do like the sound of PLII for music, I still listen in stereo a lot. Without PLII, the only way you'll be able to get CD playback through all five speakers is to use a DSP mode (probably "Natural" on the 1050, but there are some others that may appeal to you), but these are not really an apple-to-apple comparison. DSP modes are generally going to sound more artificial than PLII.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

Hi Peter:

I just received my 1050 yesterday. I to was considing the Onkyo 600 and have been waiting for it to come out. Componet inputs and swithcing was my concern also. After doing some research I found that most are of the opinion that you a better off running your dvd straight to the tv. That video suffers unless you go to a much more expensive receiver. How much it suffers I do not know. But I would rather have the been picture. As far as the pl2 goes, I worried about that too!! But not a problem the 1050 blast sound through them all. I love the simple front and button lay out of the 1050. My friends HK (nice unit) has so much crap on the front its hard to find anything. Also setup and adjustments are a snap

Another feature that the Onkyo has is DTS-ES which may or may not be important to you. As far as features are concerned the Onkyo takes the win. The final criteria is the sound quality , and since I haven't heard the 1050 I can't comment on that.

I'm curious if anyone has compared the 1050 to the TX-SR600 yet? From a feature standpoint the Onkyo has the 1050 beat, except for one thing, which I think could be important - no pre-outs. I was thinking about upgrading (finally) to a 1050 and it appears that the SR600 is the only competition right now. The main point of upgrading is to provide a better future upgrade path. Use the 1050 as a receiver, then add an amp, then eventually replace the 1050 with a dedicated pre-pro. The Onkyo doesn't allow that same path.

So, has anyone heard BOTH of these receivers. A side-by-side comparison would be even better.

Thanks,
Jason

I am in the same boat...Outlaw or Onkyo 600
Main differences:

Outlaw has(Onkyo doesn't) pre amp outs, seems to be built better, most people say 65w/channel is enough and beats out those that list at 100/channel.


Onkyo has(Outlaw Doesn't)
PLII, Cinema Filter, Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES , B speaker outputs, new feature 192kHz/24-bit DACs for greater resolution front speakers only, WRAT Wide Range Amplifier Technology (10Hz – 100kHz bandwidth)

I have been able to listen to the new Onkyo and it does sound nice...I think it depends on what one wants.

While true that the 1050 doesn't have true DD EX, it does have proprietary encoding which forms the sixth (rear center) channel just as well. I have a RC in my setup and leave it on all the time. The 1050 will not, however, extract that channel for a DTS track.

I'm with JasonA on the upgrade path. My eventual plan is to go to separates and the 1050 will allow me to add an amp to my system and still use all of my existing components. This will give my pocketbook a chance to recover from the blow of the amp before I hit it with a nice pre/pro. It also gives Outlaw plenty of time to get their new high end pre/pro ready for me!

Edit: Those pesky typographical errors!

[This message has been edited by Owl's_Warder (edited May 10, 2002).]