The 1050 directs sound to the proper speakers with no trouble at all. Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround 6.1, the direct inputs all work exactly as they're supposed to. Except for the direct mode, you get great bass management, speaker delays, and adjustable trims.

What your dealer means with the surround modes sounding the same is just about the modes used to try to create a surround experience out of a stereo source. This is probably true about every receiver out there that has this feature. The only thing the 1050 lacks that may make this issue worse than some other receivers is Dolby ProLogic II. However, if you don't use these modes, the issue is moot. Sure, it would be great if the 1050 had it, but overall it's an option and not a neccesity.

The 1050 is probably the best built receiver I've ever encountered. It's built very solidly. It's also very underated power-wise. Those 65 watts go a long way.