I recently posted about having the 1050 in a much larger and more open room, and my dilemma over how to upgrade. I just wanted to say that I totally agree with Gonk that the 1050 is a very capable pre/pro. This receiver served me very well when I was using it with Monitor 5's in a smaller (but still pretty good sized) room. And now it is serving me surprisingly well in a larger, much more open room as a pre/pro. I'm sure that at some point I will go with the 950, but I'm pretty content with how things are sounding for the time being. Whether using it as a receiver, or as a pre/pro, the 1050 is one heck of a little unit.

Did you pair it up with an OUTLAW amp?

No, not yet.....I can't afford to go with the Outlaw amps yet.....I picked up a Parasound 5-channel amp off Ebay for $350. It was definitely an upgrade, but I do have plans to add a 755 or 770 later on this year. I figure the Parasound will hold it's value for the most part considering the price I paid, so I'll be able to upgrade later on without losing any money on this purchase. So right now I have new Paradigm Monitor 11's in front with the 1050 serving as pre/pro to the Parasound, with Outlaw PCA's as interconnects. We went out and bought Saving Private Ryan - DTS last night and this set-up did not disappoint. I can only imagine how it will be when I get a 950 in here.....but for now, the 1050 is more than adequate.