I am considering buying the 1050 but am a little concerned that is has basically been the same reciever for the past 2/3 years. Are there any plans to update the 1050 or are my concerns unnecessary?

Outlaw has said that they plan to replace the 1050 at some point, but it's probably not going to happen very soon (I'd guess late this year would be the earliest, but it's just a guess).

The age of the 1050 really boils down to one thing. It lacks the newest formats -- Pro Logic II and DTS:ES. The Surround 6.1 is very comparable to Dolby EX, which is why I don't list it as missing. (For that matter, if you aren't in a position to move beyond a 5.1 speaker arrangement, the only real question is whether or not you need Pro Logic II.) The receiver's sound is still highly regarded by most users, and you will see quite a few recent owners of 1050's who will tell you that they bought it because they wanted a good sounding receiver.

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

Plus, IMO, DPL2 is only useful for non-5.1 and decoding the rear matrix on EX (right ?) so as time passes the 1050 actually looks better in some ways. For me, if it's not 5.1/6.1 it's fine to use stereo or DPL, so I'm a happy camper.

True, PL II is only available when decoding two-channel sources (cable TV, video tapes, CD's, or DVD's with Dolby 2.0 tracks) -- the same times that the old Pro Logic works. Standard PL II provides 5.1 only, it does not support a surround back channel. The Outlaw 950 (and several other new pre/pros, including the Rotel 1066 and the new Fosgate) uses Cirrus Extra Surround in addition to PL II to provide that -- similar to the Zoran-provided Surround 6.1 that the 1050 uses for Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks.

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

not that anyone asked my opinion, but my 1050 gets used more than my 950.

The 950 is in the dedicated HT where it does an awsome job while the 1050 is upstairs in the great room providing the stereo music and regular TV sound. I've also had a 1050 longer than just about any non-employee of Outlaw Audio and have absolutely no plans to replace it any time in the forseeable future.

Just my two cents as a 1050 lover, old style logo and all!

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pat----

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