Obviously, different people will hear things differently, but I still feel that the upgrade from 1050 to 950 offered a definite sonic improvement. That comparison was with the 1050 acting as a pre/pro only; there was also a somewhat less obvious improvement when I added a Model 750 to the 1050. The two upgrades combined (external amplification and 950 in place of the 1050) seemed to me to offer a very clear improvement without even factoring in the extra features provided by the 950. Granted, that is my opinion only, but mrs. gonk (who would have happily done without the $850 expense of the Model 950) also noticed the improvement.

I guess what I'm saying is that I would not qualify the 1050 as sonically equal to the 950/7100. I still think that the 1050 sounds very good, but at the end of the day it is only a $500 receiver. The 950/7100 combo offers better sonic performance as well as more power and more features. Whether those extras are worth the extra $1200 is another matter -- for some people those extras will make it a better value, but other people will choose to forego those extras and hang onto the $1200, in which case the 1050 is likely a very good solution for them.

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