Greetings from NJ, USA. I ordered my 1050 today and can't wait to juice it up!! I'm a Home Theater newbie but can definitely discern good sound from bad. The *first* thing I did was to order the 1050. Then I went and picked up a pair of b&w DM604s and two 20-foot Monster cables with gold banana plugs. Next, I'll look around for center speaker and rears (b&ws). Then, a sub if I need one. Lastly, a separate 2-channel 150w amp to drive the fronts, if needed. All in that order...as and when I get comfortable with stuff...

)

Welcome to the outlaw clan. Enjoy you new toy and I am betting you won't be needing that 150watt amp any time soon. B&W 604s are sweet. I have Nautilus 805's but I was torn between the two. BTW I'm in NJ also where did you get your B&W's ?

desperado -- not to wander too far off the topic (welcome aboard, TheDeep!), but how do you like the Nautilus 805's? I've got a co-worker who is considering replacing some 20-year-old KEF References with 805's but can't decide if he should try to step up to the 804's to get something closer to full-range.

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

Pardon me whilst I wander a bit....
I am very happy with the 805's. I am not really well versed on the terminology of describing speaker sound but my best description is very natural. I found the 805's pushed the improvement I found when I switched from a Sony receiver to the 1050 one more notch. I started hearing detail in my music that I never noticed before. I even found several CD's that I don't like that much anymore because the detail is revealing flaws in the CD I never noticed before. I compared the 805's to the entire 600 series and found them to be warmer and more detailed. I selected the 805's over the 804's mostly because I preferred their footprint and because the 805's with the HTM2 and the stands was already about $1000 over my desired budget. I have a small apartment so I preferred the smaller speakers. The cost is very close if you are going to purchase the stands for the 805's.

For a completely honest opinion I would have to add that the only negative I find with these speakers is they are a little directional. I had to put a lot of effort into placing them in my room for the optimal sound. Perhaps because my room is small and I am close to the speakers. I found the 600 series didn't do this when I was tried them at the store. When the 600's were playing I didn't know which speaker in the lineup I was listening to until I got very close to them to check. With the 805's if I am not in the sweet spot I find I can hear the speaker I am closest too much more causing a noticeable degrade in the sound stage. I really preferred the sound of the 805's so I decided to accept this issue and deal with it by placing the speakers more carefully. I don't know if the 804's have the same effect.

As for the range of these speakers I haven't found anything they can't handle. I don't even have a subwoofer so I set the crossover on the 1050 to 60Hz and I am very happy with the base I am getting from the 1050's. The main difference in the 805's and the 804's is that the 805's have a single driver handling both the base and the midrange. This driver is surrounded by a rubber ring to allow it to handle both tasks better without distortion. The 804's have the same driver without the ring handling the midrange and then have two separate speakers handling the base. For the difference in the price considering the stands I would probably opt for the 804's if I had to make the decision now. If course as always the best way for him to decide is going to be to get some good sample CD's that test the range and test drive the speakers in a side by side comparison.

Thanks for the welcome! I can barely wait to get it all juiced up! I just *hope* the 1050 can drive the DM604s adequately and be able to deliver crisp sound at high volumes.

I picked the 604s in a private sale. Got myself a pair of pristine 604s and two 20-foot Monster cables with gold banana plugs - all for $380! Is that sweeeet or what

If I could afford it, I would have gone with Nautilus or Martin Logan but money is very tight right now, so I'm busy scavenging in seriously El Cheapo mode

[This message has been edited by TheDeep (edited January 09, 2003).]

Sounds like you're off to a great start. I'm pretty much in the same mode, for slightly different reasons. Money isn't all that tight, but I needed a cheap (but decent) way to get experience in multi-channel and HT before I commit a lot of $$$. Having the cash and having the cash to throw away are completely different things. I figure later I can sell the 1050 or relegate it to a secondary system and not be out a ton of money, and at the same time I'm learning a lot of the first hand lessons you just can't really learn any other way.

The 1050 has been so good I've actually put off the upgrade and done a few other things since upgrading seems less important than I thought. Hope your experience is positive too.


[This message has been edited by charlie (edited January 08, 2003).]

Wow ! Sweet deal indeed. If I could have picked up a pair of 604's for $350 I never could have justified the 805's either. I would not mind that deal at all.

Your 1050 is going to drive the 604's just fine. I am sure you will be quite pleased.

[This message has been edited by desperado (edited January 08, 2003).]

I got mine today and all I can say is WOW, what a deal, this receiver puts out alot more than the 65 watts, well built too! Should be more than $500 for this powerhouse. I am well pleased. Now to tweak it..

why do i get the feeling that some of the guys on here are Outlaw employees? No brainer..I'm sure that's that's the case since this is on an Outlaw site...........oh well

Nope, I think that those here simply own Outlaw products and are enthusiastic about the performance and value for dollar. I don't work for them - they wouldn't have me

5 bonus points for the conspiracy theory though!

:-)

All I can say is...can't wait to get the 1050....and I'm a sceptic because I've had to return audio equipment in the past because it sucked. It's not fun to unpack stuff, listen to it, feel bad, talk to the manufacturer who tells me to return it because they can't resolve my problems...don't mind me, i've just been jaded and i'm hoping that'll turn around now

My previous bad experiences have been with Bose, Bang&Olufsen, Seimens (phones)....yeah so maybe I *am* jinxed!

- The only Outlaw employees I have seen around here are Scott (our friendly moderator) and "Admin". Based on your past bad experiences, I think the odds are in favor of you liking the 1050. Bose and B&O (particularly Bose) are heavily marketed, but tend to be more fluff than performance -- the 1050 takes the opposite approach (more performance, less fluff). Nothing in life as guaranteed, but I think the 1050 and the B&W's will be an excellent combination.

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

If I was an employee I would have asked for a discount, no just really a good deal for $500, I have test drove the Denon, Yahama, and Pioneer. The only one that can compare to this receiver is a Carver. Could not afford the Carver so this is a outstanding receiver for the money..

I am not an outlaw employee either. Although if I keep raving about my 1050 to everyone I think perhaps I should start getting commissions

I am looking forward to hearing what your opinion of the 1050 is now. As a skeptic you opinion will carry some weight. My money is on you being very happy with your purchase.

I bought my 1050 5 months ago and I still insist on listening to it every day. I listened to my previous receiver perhaps once a week or less. It has turned into a bit of an obsession. (Lying on couch and being told that my time is up now)

Guys, I post sporadically on a few other forums (unrelated to audio) and I gotta say that this Outlaw forum is by far the friendliest I've seen. Really cool!

Most of my friends have Bose Lifestyle systems. Those suck real bad. I ordered Lifestyle-50 over 2 yrs ago, auditioned it in my home and returned it after 4 days. Since then, I've not had *any* sound system in my home. I had an Aiwa boombox but gave that away to my niece on her birthday a year ago. It's not even funny, I have nothing more than an alarm radio at home, besides the CD/DVD-drive in my computer *whew*

My gameplan is to hook up the 1050 to the 604s, invite my friends over one evening and have their jaws drop to their knees.

:-)

I'm not an employee, but I've had a Model 1050 longer just about than anyone other than an employee ... And that includes "rookie" employees like Scott & Mike! I was one of the five lucky folks picked for the outside beta test of the 1050 back in spring 2000. You can still see the old photographs taken right after I got my hands on it (and a digital camera ) ...

Beta Model 1050 photographs

I drove a 6.1 system (Boston Acoustics VR-M series speakers) with it for nearly 2 years until I bought my Model 950. The 950 (with a Model 750 amp) is now driving the Boston's down stairs in the Home Theater and the Model 1050 is upstairs driving a pair of Onix Rocket 750's in a primarily music system. My 1050 is nearly 3 years old and I still love it as much as the day I first hooked it up.

Welcome to the family!

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pat----

email: pat@sklenar.info ---===--- home page: Grumpy's Lair

My freinds all come over and see only a DVD player and the 1050 setting on the rack. When I turn it on they want to know where I hid the rest of the equipment. I must admit its looks bare but the sound is great.

Nice. Very nice! I somewhat regret ordering ground shipping for the 1050, which means it's not going to get here until the 15th. shucks!

Sorry, I had a typo in there. I paid $380, not $350. But hey, nothing to complain about that either :-)

Since a pair of 604's sells for $1400 I don't think the extra $30 really changed WOW factor of this deal. Not a bad deal at all.

You gotta get center and surround speakers if you really want to get that jaw dropping effect.

Totally. I'm scavenging for center and rears now...I'll also get a sub down the road coz I'm big on bass....

Included in $380, I also got a pair of 20-foot 12-gauge Monster cables with gold-plated banana plugs. Do you know how much they cost?

OK STOP RUBBING IT IN

These cables run about $50 each MSRP at CrutchField .

I did want to find out how much the cables cost :-) THANKS!

Gentlemen,
The 1050 arrived today. Hooked it up to a pair of DM604s and an SVS sub for stereo music (HT setup will happen this weekend or sooner). Intial reaction = dismay. It sounded like a LOUD radio. Did some tweaking and now the sound is a LOT better. I'll be posting again later, after I go through some more tweaking myself. *whew* Thank god I'm feeling much better about the sound now. Will post details later...gotta run to NYC to pick up my center channel (b&3 cc6 S2)

desperado, I GOTTA rub this in Here's what I paid for my b&w speakers, all MINT:

A pair of DM604s with Monster cables $380
A pair of DM601s with wall mounts $190
A CC6 S2 center channel $200

Life is good :-)

Investing in a $30 RatShack analog DB meter is not a bad idea - just my $0.02.

OK, I am not even going to tell you what I paid for my B&W 805's and HTM2. Not quite MSRP but no way near the deal you got. How did you find these deals ? I want to get a SVS Subwoofer for $200

I am glad you are starting to enjoy the 1050 after "tweeking" it.

[This message has been edited by desperado (edited January 15, 2003).]

charlie, yes I'm definitely getting a Radio Shack sound meter. I was bidding on one on Ebay but I think I'll just buy one now - it's about $50.

Desperado, there are people who know how Ebay works and there are those who don't go near a computer. The latter variety will let you have their cool gear for a song!

I literally stumbled upon the DM604s in a local newspaper ad. When I got those, I started to build the HT system. As of today, all my components are in place. Except, I gotta get an mp3/cd changer.

I paid $600 for the SVS though. It sounds boomy to me right now but I have to think that's because I still need to let it break in and get all the settings right. It'll be a few days more before I post any unresolved questions and final analysis

The screw thread of one of the speaker connector posts on the 1050 has gone bad in just two uses. It's 12:17am and I'll deal with everything tomorrow...!

If you are looking at a meter that is $50 it is probably the digital version, while it will work, they eat batteries like no tomorrow and the analog meter is a little easier to read. (IMO)
With any sub they are very position dependent. I had to move my SVS around a bit to find just the right spot. So experiment a bit and you will find a good spot and any boominess will disappear. Good luck and have fun!



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m-mmeyer
GO TWINS
My DVD's

m-mmeyer,
Yes, you're right about the digital meter. And on second thoughts, I'm going to pick up the analog meter today for $38. My calibration DVD will also arrive today, so I got plenty of tweaking/positioning to do, before it all comes together.

Any recommendations on a CD/mp3 changer?

I used my friends digital RatShack meter. It didn't eat batteries and it worked just fine. The meter is very easy to read and is just as accurate as the analog meter. To me it is much easier to read a 73 or 76 on a digital meter than trying to guess as to where the needle is pointing on an analog scale.

Maybe that's just me . . .

Larry

Larry,
The pamphlet sent by SVS mentions that they prefer the analog model too. I wonder why. I agree that reading a numeric digit on an LCD screen is much easier than myopically guessing what the needle is pointing to...

UPDATE on the sound: I got goosebumps listening to a CD right now....so...I think I'm on my way to audio bliss soon :-)

I have to weigh in heavily in favor of the analog meter. The test signal is going to vary a bit and any moving signal is harder to observe with a digital. Higher end meters include both a digital and a 'bar graph' analog display for just this reason. Also, the RatShack digital has no fractional readout which the analog has. Either will work, but for less money you can get more meter IMO. YMMV.

Radio Shack ran out of the analog meters so I got the digital type. If they get an analog in, I'll exchange it.

Quick question: what gauge speaker wire should I use for the rear surrounds? Each run will be about 40-50 feet! I want to get some sort of thin wire that I could possible paint to match the wall color...

There are manufacturers that make flat wire that can be laid right onto walls and painted over. It comes in different gauges, but for 50 feet, i'd get at least 14 or better still 12 gauge. I don't have a name handy, but it shouldn't be hard to find as I've seen it advertised.

Deep, damn! i never even thought about looking for speakers in a newspaper especially B&W's...coz of you i'll start looking for "great deals" in the newspaper I'm also from Jersey, which newspaper did you find these B&W's? Star Ledger??? Hope you don't mind sharing the info.

soundhound,
thanks for the info. Yeah I'm aware of the flat cables (acoustic research makes some) but I have no patience to order them online and wait a few days. I'll go to Bestbuy today and see what they have.

Cscamp,
There are people who know about the internet and Ebay, and there are those who don't B&W speakers on Ebay elicit a feeding frenzy and it's really hard to find something at a 'good' price unless some newbie lists his speakers with a low "Buy It Now" price and you're the first one to see it and close the auction. Not just speakers really...I was bidding on a Radio Shack Audio Meter that sells for $50 in the shop. Some 29 people bid on it and the price was already up to $41 (PLUS $10 shipping) with 20 hours to go before the auction ended. Sheeshh...!!

I found my DM604s in the "Tempo" - a free newspaper distributed in the Somerset/Middlesex county. You should definitely look into the Princeton area newspapers for great deals. Years ago, I bought a 5-yr old Peugeot 505 STI with 23k miles, leather seats, power sunroof, power everything actually, for $2100.

Another good source is audiogon.com. There's a guy selling his CDM SE center channel for $325 - a pretty good deal:

http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?spkrmoni&1046367567

I think there is a Tempo here in Edison... I know what your talkng about i've gotten a lot of great deals on Ebay myself...A Paradigm CC170 v.3 for $109...tell me thats not a steal? you need to be lucky at times. I actually bought and already sold some cables at Audiogon. Thanks!!!