I had a Marantz SR5200 here at home for the past couple days... it's a nice sounding unit but the reproduction is a bit too restrained for my taste. I want something with fuller, more forceful bass and more vibrant highs. So I'm wondering if anybody here has had an opportunity to compare the 1050 with the SR5200?

I realize I will need to audition the 1050 for myself to know for sure if it's what I'm looking for... but I'd like to minimize the chance that I would need to return it.

Thanks in advance for any input.

I haven't heard much Marantz gear, so I can't offer much insight. There have been a few Marantz users here in the forum though. MCH considered the Marantz 6200 and the 1050, and he's been pleased with his 1050. Nreyes ordered a 1050 and compared it to a Marantz 7200, and he and his wife preferred the sound of the Marantz (see this thread ). Cburbs is in the same place you are (or was a week ago ). AwesomeA chose the 1050 over the SR5200 . Lao162 considered the 1050, Denon, and Marantz, and he ended up choosing the Marantz 7200 (see his post on 3/8).

That's not a real answer, but it may give you some more to work with. As for my personal opinion, I've been very satisfied with my 1050 for over a year and a half now, and I've got a co-worker who is demo'ing it at his house right now (I got one of the "drop-out" batch of 950 pre/pros two weeks ago) and loves it.

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

Gonk, were you a research librarian in a previous life?

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net

I am still in the buying stage......still not sure to go with the 1050 or marantz sr6200/7200

Hey "gonk"... I really appreciate your reply. I took a quick look at the topics here last night but somehow failed to notice any of the threads you referenced. Seems like about half the folks preferred the Marantz and the other half the 1050.

I know exactly what "cburbs" means by being uncertain... but I think I'll just go ahead and order a 1050 next week. I'm never gonna know for sure if I will like it unless I listen to it. I want to upgrade my two-channel stereo system to "home theater"... but I'm having one heck of a time finding a reasonably priced receiver that sounds as good for music as the trusty Philips unit I've had for like 7 years.

Thanks for the replies!

David

Glad I could help. The 1050 is definitely worth considering if you're looking for music. You can always do what others have done -- get the 1050, borrow a Marantz, and compare the two at home. If the 1050 wins, you can enjoy it without wondering if you made the right choice. If the Marantz wins, ship the 1050 back.

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

I was in the same dilema a month ago. So
I auditioned both the Marantz 6200 and the
1050. I ended up returning the Marantz. IMHO, for the price, the 1050 is a high quality built piece, sound much better in 2-channel Stereo and DD 5.1 mode. (only drawback is not having DPLII, but for now I am enjoying it while waiting for the 950)

Thanks much for the additional input Kevin. You have reinforced my decision to give the 1050 a try.

I will be using my new receiver for simple two-channel reproduction of music probably 95% of the time... so that is what I am most interested in. The lack of DPL-II concerns me not at all, since I doubt I would ever use it (or any of the other "simulated" surround modes... none of those effects appeals to my ears at all). When I'm watching movies, I'll go with just unaltered Dolby Digital or DTS. And 5 channels is plenty for me!

What did you like with the 1050 over the Marantz ?
I was able to listen to a 7200 and I thought it sounded very nice. I am sure a lot has to do with what speakers one is using. Circle surround was nice, 6 channel stereo...I did not check it out with a movie at all. I think I will go back to the store to do that before I make my final decision. I need something new and something that will last me for a couple of years.
The other issue is I run a second pair of speakers in the basement thru my current reciever but if I go with the 1050/marantz I wont be able to do that. I will sell my current one ...I don't need three receivers(2nd one is in the garage).

After weeks of deliberation, i finally bought a 1050. It certainly wasn't easy considering i live in Canada and must live with additional shipping/duties not to mention the brutal exchange rate.

Here are my quick thoughts on some of the other models I considered;

Denon 2802 - way too expen$ive ($900 retail here)

Marantz 6200 - slightly cheaper after factoring in additional 1050 costs, decent sound but limited bass management, also newer and looking to establish a solid reputation (there seem to have been problems in earlier versions)

Onkyo SR600 - comparable in features and pricing so it sounds compelling but isn't widely available yet (in Canada), brand new so jury is still out

In the end i chose the Outlaw simply because I believed in the product and the people behind it. A large part of that is due to the posts I've read in this forum and all the external reviews. Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for sharing your thoughts and experiences.

I plan to match the 1050 with some Paradigms (Monitor 7s, CC370, PDR10). If anyone has any Paradigm stories, good or bad, I'd like to hear them!