HELP! I was all set to buy the Outlaw and then Denon went and pulled out all the stops - they just posted a new 6.1 receiver (1803) with PLII, etc. The only thing it's really missing is the pre-outs which I'm not sure what they will do for me - I'm kind of a novice with the HT stuff. Is it worth losing the PLII and DTS for 6.1 capabilities? Does anyone have opinions if the Outlaw sounds better than the 1802 (predecessor to 1803)?

Thanks!!!!

It's a tough question to answer, but I'll give it a shot. On the plus side for the Denon, you are getting Dolby EX, DTS ES, PL II, DTS:NEO6, and component video switching. There's always an "on the other hand," though. Most folks tend to recommend being careful about using component switching on entry-level gear like this -- your best bet is to go directly from the source to the display if you can (part of the reason that Outlaw left component video switching off the 1050 was that they couldn't do truly transparent switching without increasing the unit cost too much). The 1050's "Surround 6.1" is actually very comparable to Dolby EX -- I've used both, and came away thinking pretty highly of Surround 6.1. The lack of pre-amp outputs would only matter if you decide to add a separate power amp (like Outlaw's 755 and 770, or the planned Outlaw 7100) -- when I got my 1050, I had no such plans, but I ended up getting a 750 less than a year later. The 1050's DSP feature set is definitely starting to show its age, but a lot of 1050 owners (including recent buyers) have chosen to go with it for the sound. Denon builds some good stuff, but the impression I've got from others is that the Outlaw is a better-sounding unit than the lower-end Denons (thinking mainly of the 1602/1603, based on other posts here only and not any first hand experience). I don't know if any of that rambling helped or not...

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

Yikes! I checked the website for the 1803, and it looks like an updated 1050! Similiar wattage but all the latest feaures available today - at the same price. For me PLII was a must, and I use it constantly for TV, VHS, and Satellite. BUT - during my research, the 1802 did not compare to the overall sound of the 1050 for me. The 1050 packs a punch. Give the 1803 a good listen before you make your move. It's such a shame the 1050 doesn't have PLII. So many apprehensions about purchasing the 1050, posted in this forum, wouldn't exist. But at the time the 1050 was designed, PLII didn't exist. If DVD is your main activity, then the 1050 is still a tough contender.

Thanks Gonk and Mayor D for the input - the 1802 is the best sounding receiver that I've run across out in the field, but I stayed away from anything over $500 as that is really the top end of my budget....that includes comparing to Onkyo, HK, and several others....it's just hard to decide on the Outlaw without hearing it first hand. Thanks again for the feedback...off to try and make my decision!!! I could shoot Denon for introducing that!!!

I was recently in the market for a receiver in the same price band that you are now. My searches lead me to the Outlaw 1050 and the Yamaha the RX-V630, RX-V730, and RX-V1200. My final decision was between the 1050 and the RX-V730. I ended up with a used (but well loved and cared for!) 1050 that was for sale locally. (Thanks again, Gonk!)

I listened to the Denon 1803 and lower end Yamahas at a local audio shop in the same room with the same source and speakers and I preferred the Yamahas by quite a bit. You might check them out if you have not. The sound was less colored and more… well… smooth. I bought the 1050 on reputation and price – I didn’t hear it until it was in my living room. The sound is wonderful. It’s hard to make a comparison between a receiver in your living room and one in an audio shop, but I feel that the 1050 had much superior sound than the low end Denons and Yamahas.

It does lack some of the more modern DSP modes, but the only one I think you might miss is PLII. I don’t miss it, but then again I have not heard it. As you have heard from others, the lack of Dolby-EX is offset by the inclusion of Outlaws proprietary 6.1 processing. Many say it is fully compatible and sounds as good or better than Dolby licensed EX processing. You will miss out on rear-center sound from DTS-ES encoded discs. I didn’t mind this shortcoming since a rear-center has a very low WAF in my living room. I’m working on strategies to lift the rear center ban. Any tips or proven methods are appreciated!!

Other than that then only other features that were missing that thought I might be interested in were on screen display and front panel inputs. I don’t miss OSD, and I can get around the lack of front panel inputs by using the ones on my video monitor. Bottom line: if you don’t need the extra features of the new receivers, the 1050 is very hard to beat!

Good luck with your search... I listend to most of the models/brands in your price range - I think you'll be happy with ANY of them.

I also did my home work with the Onkyo's,H/K,Denon,NAD.....and found my self saving from 500.00 to 1500.00.You need to demo the 1050 in your system,and find out for your self.I know the Outlaw kills them all within the 2000.00 range.Just my opinion....smile.

I recently compared a 1050 to Denon's 1802 and 2802.Same room,same speakers,same CD and the same DVD. The 1050 easily out performed the 1802,no comparison.The 2802 and the 1050 were close........
If you prefer Denon you have to go at least to the 2802/2803 to get the sane sound quailty as the 1050.

Hello,
To give you an idea of how good the 1050 is, I'm currently upgrading to another pre/pro and rather than sell the 1050, I'm keeping the 1050 to anchor another system. It's quality and sound cannot be beaten for the price.
The Outlaw customer support is without peer. I highly recommend all Outlaw products!
I'm a professional Audio Engineer, and praise like this does not come easily for me. Buy the 1050!
Mix

I saw on E-Bay the Denon AVR 2802 for $526.00
brand new. I have had my sights on the 1050 for quite awhile and was wondering if the 2802 at this price was a better buy than the 1050. I saw in the post above that the 2802 is a pretty good unit but I know nothing about it. Any ideas?

Thanks

AAWingnut

Are you looking for features or are you looking for the best sound you can get for 499.00????If you want features then go with the Denon,if you want great sound(and i think Denon is very good)go with the Outlaw 1050.