If I had known then what I know now...

I could have bought a 1050 and been enjoying DD and DTS for the past 7 months!

With things still up in the air, is anyone else (who maybe lke me have only Pro-Logic) considering just picking up a 1050 for $500 and waiting out the storm by enjoying digital home theater? Then, whenever it is, that the 950 is "in-stock" and "fixed", sell the 1050 for a modest loss and get the 950 for the "family discount" price of $850.

Hello Apple,
I've had a 1050 for about 3 months now while waiting for the 950. I highly recommend going this route. Yes, I expect to take a loss, but I've gotten great use and enjoyment from the unit. I enjoy it so much that I'm considering keeping it as a secondary unit if I can swing the financing when my 950 is ready. It's a quality piece of gear and only makes me anticipate the 950 more. BTW, I'm running the 1050 with external amps and using the 1050 to power my center channel. It works great, but I'll have to buy yet another amp when the 950 gets here. Probably why I'll have to sell the 1050. Good Luck.
Mix

I did that exact thing back in December... only mistake I made was letting it go early because I thought the 950 was "right around the corner". I got in some HT time but still ended up waiting months upon months for the 950.

So the moral is, if you do this, DON'T guarantee the unit to your buyer by a particular date and DON'T let it go until you've got a 950 on your doorstep.

It was still worth it, though. It also gave me a chance to see the build quality of a typical Outlaw product before sending them the money for the 950/755.

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net

I am a 1050 owner and have mulled over the choice to go with seperates, but I'm just too darn happy with the 1050. It's plenty loud enough and I don't think the pro logic 2 will buy me anything since I get a digital signal with regular TV. I have 6 channels of top quality sound and I don't see needing any more power until I get a [much] bigger room. The 1050 is so choice. It's like anything else: you pay $9 for a bottle of wine and it is pretty good, you get a $25 bottle and it's really good, but the $500 bottle isn't _that_ much better than the $25 unless you're a snob.
Fletch

Well, I did the same thing and received my 1050 just before the 4th. However, I'm not actually holding out for the 950; I'm holding out for the upper line preamp.

With all the uncertainty about DVI and Firewire and with my patience growing thin, I just decided to upgrade my old equipment in a cost effective manner.

I've been very pleased with my 1050 so far and I'm sure it will suffice until I "feel the need" to upgrade again.

One thing's for sure, the July newsletter pretty much changed the course of my action plan.

I was initially considering going the 950/770 or 950/755 route (my first separates), and was waiting on the sidelines to see when the 950 ships.

With the announcement of a new matching amp for the 950 and it being on hold I decided to go for the new combo later this year and get a 1050 for now.

I'm sure the new amp will be rated somewhere along 110-130W pc - and honestly who needs 200W pc and a 80 lbs. heavy unit that barely fits into your cabinet?

I think the new amp will be a great addition to their product line.
-wolf

Yes indeed. The combo of it with the 950 will probably sell like gangbusters! As their last email says:

I had originally thought they'd make a receiver based on the 950. But the approach the Outlaws are taking is even better since it allows for the upgradability of separates, at a low price, like a receiver.

Their new, 7 channel amp should make that possible. Congratulations, Outlaw!

The big question is how much power it will have and in particular, if it has more honest power than the amplifiers built inside the Denon 5803 receiver and the top of the line Pioneer receiver.


[This message has been edited by Will (edited July 10, 2002).]

While no other DPL2 pre/pro can touch the 950's price, and while the 950 is a new design, the 1050 on the other hand is getting long in the tooth. There are other receivers that can do more (like DPL2 which the 1050 doesn't) for about the same money as the 1050.

will, I agree with you except for a few minor points.
1. You obviously don't get the discount with any other brand and if you're considering purchasing a 950 anyway, why not? You can sell a used 1050 for around 375-400 in about an hour on Audiogon.com. So the loss isn't going to be substantial.
2. I spent several months researching receivers before I decided on the 1050. Even with the lack of DPL-II and component switching you'd be hard pressed to find a receiver in this price range that has better quality (build and sound) Though the better manufacturers are catching up.
Just my opinion, but if you are planning to use a receiver as a stop-gap you could do much worse for more money than the 1050.
Thanks and again just my opinion

That's a discount of just $49. I don't know if that's worth it, unless you really prefer the 1050 over something that's newer. I think you can get a DPL II receiver for less than the 1050 even if you include the $49 discount.

The 1050 was a great value in its day and it's still no doubt a nice receiver. But it's been out for well over a year. These days, I recommend to my friends who are buying a new receiver to get one with DPL II. That's just my opinion. I'm sure the 1050 is a nice receiver.


[This message has been edited by Will (edited July 11, 2002).]

while there are newer products available I still don't think that for the same price you can get comparable quality(yet). All I'm saying is that for those that are contemplating this type of move, you really could do a lot worse than the 1050. I personally would wait or buy a similar product from a different manufacturer. I don't think I could justify stepping backwards if my heart was set on separates.
just my opinion though

I can live without DPL-II right now. I just want DD and DTS so I can enjoy my DVD's more.

Also, how many receivers for $500/$450 give you preouts for all channels? I already have a 5 channel amp. I bought that last summer. Plus with Outlaw you get a warrantied product with a 30-day return policy. How much receiver does $500 get you at the local brick & mortar? Shopping online is fine - you will get more receiver for the $500, but unlikely a warranty or return privileges.

Oh yeah, I also have 4 surround speakers hanging on the walls - also bought last year when I thought the 950 was fairly close to market.

Lastly I applaud Outlaw as well for the cheaper 7-channel amp to allow separates to compete price-wise with higher-end receivers. I think it is an excellent marketing strategy. It is similar to people on this forum who use the Parasound 855 amp with their 950. I also believe 7x200W is overkill for almost all situations. I have a conservatively rated 5x125W amp and the only time I have seen my clipping lights come on is when I was cranking it during the opening scene of Toy Story 2 and during the depth charges in U-571. For the mains I can see 200W, but for a surround speaker, I say too much.

People are making a huge deal out of DPL II. Is it _that_ big a deal? My 1050 puts out a double-ton of sound through the rears even when I'm watching something like the Food Network. Now many of the primetime shows are broadcast in 5.1 sound. Wouldn't that make DPL II a little on the obsolete side of things? Most new TVs have multiple component inputs so I don't really see an advantage in the component switching either. Why put the signal through another bunch of connections when you can go straight in?
Fletch

I traded my 1050 for a 950/755. Enormous difference is steering and sound quality. The DPL 11 is certainly an improvement, also. Sold my 1050 on Audiogon in 2 hours!

I agree... I cannot praise DPL-II enough. It makes many of my two channel CDs sound like they were mastered in 5.1, and it makes TV viewing much more enjoyable as well.

And my TV only has one compnent input... I know it's not exactly high-end, but the component video switching is definitely useful to me. I only wish the 950 had three inputs.

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net

Actually you are right, I just looked into some receivers and found that 6th Avenue is now selling the Denon AVR3802 (7x110W) for $699! Certainly much more bang for the buck compared to $499 for the 1050.

DPL II is awesome. I have never, ever liked any kind of surround enhancement for 2 channel stero music. It always sounded too artificial. Regular DPL didn't work well, either -- surrounds weren't quite right, and the center channel was way too prominent on most recordings.

But, DPLII really does make many 2 channel recording sound like they were mastered in 5.1. Actually, some sound like better masterings than some true 5.1 DTS CDs!! It really is very, very nice.

Fletch:
DPL II is an improvement over DPL with regards to TV/VHS viewing. If you have a good 2 channel setup, it is like any other processing, you will try it once or twice and discard it. I think upgrading primarily to obtain DPL II would be a dissappointment.

Yes and these days, there are many DPL II receivers under $499. But if you are able to stretch to $699, the Denon 3802 has lots of bang for the buck. Good luck!