I'm impressed by the audio erudition of some of the Outlaw crowd here, and --while I'll be keeping in mind your understandable bias--I herewith solicit your opinions.

I have an NAD 7125 receiver that has kept me enormously happy for 20+ years; but it's time to do the Home Theater thing. After 6 months of casual perusing, and a final month of less-than-casual scrutiny, I've narrowed the field down to the 1050 and the NAD T751. OK guys, push me off the fence...! I'd specially appreciate input from NAD owners...

Items of note: I have been an audiophile since the early 70's; sold stereos in college (Circuit City sales counselor #549)...yet have let my knowledge languish a bit about state-of-the-art. Also, 6000+ hours flying noisy cargo and corporate planes has wrecked my hearing enought to allow me to buy (somewhat)cheaper equipment; and also provides me with an incentive (relative poverty)to be very cost conscious.

Thanks in advance!

Dave

Flyrod
I can not say anything about the NAD since I have nevered listened to one before. While I too have been searching for a receiver I remember one of HT mags mention that the 1050 was in the same catagory as the NAD in many respects, but nudged toward the 1050.

You will not be disappointed over the 1050. You simply can not go wrong with it. The glowly reveiws do not lie.

The NAD T751 was the one unit I considered before ordering the Outlaw 1050. I have had a NAD T770 for a couple of years and it is a fine product but I wanted something less expensive for the second system I'm building. There are some very bad stories on the net about the NAD T751's reliability.

See, for example: http://www.audioreview.com/reviews/AVReceiver/product_69115.shtml

flyrod,

I can relate... I, too, had (have) NAD audio gear from the same era, although I have separates rather than a receiver. My NAD tuner and integrated amp continue to server me will for two channel audio.

When I moved to home theatre naturally I looked at NAD. I'll spare you the long story and jump to the shorter version. I went with the 1050 largely for budgetary reasons. And although I cannot comment on the T751, I can say that I tried out several A/V receivers and the 1050 was one of only a few that performed exceptionally well with music. For some reason most of the receivers I tried, while very good with movie material, just didn't come close to reproducing music programming with the warmth and depth I've come to expect from my NAD gear. Harman Kardon was also very good, but much more expensive. If the T751 is $500, then get it. You'll most likely be satisfied. If NAD had made a DD/DTS receiver when I was in the market, I probably would have bought it.

Availability and customer service were other factors that swung me to Outlaw Audio. Their shipping is fast and their service is first class.

And you know... the 1050 looks so home-brew it's just gotta be good! Kinda geek vs. sleek.

Ricco

[This message has been edited by Ricco (edited January 11, 2002).]

You will not be disappointed over the 1050.

Thanks for taking the time to reply....

dave

[See, for example: [URL=http://www.audioreview.com/reviews/AVReceiver/product_69115.shtml]


Thanks much for taking the time to reply....

dave

Thanks very much for your input!

If the T751 is $500, then get it. You'll most likely be satisfied.

Well, I auditioned one a few days ago (after 3 months of searching for a dealer with one in stock; I even have the advantage of being a corporate pilot and traveling to 2-3 new cities every week); dammitboy there's a lot of stores that have NAD in their Yellow Pages ad, and nevertheless have none on the showroom floor when you get there....

Their shipping is fast and their service is first class.

Good to hear.

And you know... the 1050 looks so home-brew it's just gotta be good!
I actually have to give a nod to the NAD for being a tad classier looking...the Outlaw concept is fine, but the logo is a bit over-the-top...
Thanks again...

dave

Hello, this is my first time posting here. Like you, I've also considered the NAD. I think the biggest factor for me is:

6 channels vs 5 channels

My personal list has been narrowed down to the 1050 and Denon 2802. Due to my budget (and the fact that I like the Outlaw concept) I'll probably be ordering the 1050 as soon as I get my year end bonus. Naturally, the wait is killing me.

Good Luck!

>>[6 channels vs 5 channels

You know what? That obvious, huge factor didn't even register until you mentioned it! Duh! Thanks for pointing that out. Score one for the Outlaws...

>>Naturally, the wait is killing me.

Right now, my problem is almost totally an emotional one; it's boiling down to loyalty to a product (NAD) that has far exceeded my expectations in every way for 2 decades. Not many consumer products have done so to that degree over the years....Just this past Fri, some buddies came over and we had a bushel of ice cold oysters, brewskis, and put on "Waiting for Columbus" by Little Feat (imho, the finest live album ever made)... cranked it at you-are-there, rock-concert spl's; and my buds were blown away...even more so when I told them the little NAD was 20 watts and 20 years old...

As I research this BBS further, I stumbled into the "New Product Suggestions" area, and was fascinated by the heated discussion of the Outlaw nameplate logo. I gained a lot of insight by this thread; and such ideas, tidbits, and glimpses of and customer loyalty is VERY important to us outsiders-- flatlanders, if you will-- when you can't audition this audio gear in a showroom.

As I narrow my choices down to just a few HT receivers, I have to admit that "looks"-- while not high on the list-- is a factor. Face it; everybody has a few close buds, from whom you are looking for an understated smile and a nod (maybe even a grin) when they HEAR your kit, and also a nod of admiration when they glance over the gear and twiddle with the nobs...

Don't get me wrong, I do indeed LIKE the simple, understated, "just-the-facts-ma'am" front panel layout and design of the 1020 (from what I can see of the too-small pictures posted). Suggestion: bigger pictures... I do indeed like the design philosophy of "putting the money where you can hear it", and not it in a bunch of adolescent whiz-bang special effects...

But I have to emphatically agree that the font and graphic chosen for the Outlaw logo is...well, at best regrettable.

On the afformentioned thread discussing the Outlaw logo, I feel the professional graphic artist crowd (e.g.: azryan, ampeg66, ghs1998...) (btw; I wanna party with these guys!!!! ...and I send raspberries to their "Mongo" brain-dead opponents who couldn't argue their way out of a wet paper bag)...have argued succesfully and compellingly that you can convey a sense of a corporate "breakout" image, and style, with out the logo being so...so...cheesy, so garish, so "Fisher-Pricey" (loved that one)and utterly lacking in "gravitas". I'd call the logo a "gunshot that has missed it's mark"....do I want to hang out with a band of outlaws who are so careless with their firearms??!

I suspect the decision to chose that juvenile logo took place at 1 am, on a napkin in a pizza joint, in an alcoholic haze, made by the brilliant engineers who design this stuff...but who should invariably stay the hell away from marketing, style, and other non-engineering decisions!

My 3 suggestions here:

1. I agree with a contest for a new logo. The winner should be chosen by a top-of-the-line, nationwide, design and branding bureau. I'd love to see designs from the guys mentioned above...

2. A quick and dirty fix; simply use a somewhat darker gray color to silk-screen the logo on the faceplate, and a darker green (non-skittle) power button! Whaddya think?

3.Am I an Outlaw yet?

Dave

This was my experience as well, regarding the derth of NAD avilability and accessibility. Outlaw Audio provided me with quick and honest pre-sales support as well as a 30-day in-home trial. If I could have gotten this kind of attention from NAD or an NAD dealer it would have been nice.



By "home-brew" I meant that it is almost the antithesis of sleek and classy. It conveys a product from a comany who puts its money behind its passion of audio engineering and not marketing gloss. I was attracted to the struggling artist, underdog look vs. high-end boutique look.

I agree with your comments regarding the logo, but I haven't found it to have unduly affected the unit's sonic qualities If you buy the 1050, I'll send you 2-inch strip of black electrical tape.

Good luck on your hunt...

I currently use an NAD T751 in my secondary home theater and love it. It is very warm sounding great for 2-channel listening. Plenty of power unless you have a really big room and hey its an NAD sorry thats a big plus for me versus Outlaw

"I currently use an NAD T751 ...and hey its an NAD sorry thats a big plus for me versus Outlaw"

Great! Now you tell me! The day after I order an Outlaw...and now I'm on the lam from the posse forever!!!! (Just watched Oulaw Jose Wales last night to get me in the mood.) I'm standing by the mailbox....

Seriously, thanks for the input. I still have the T-751 option...and I'll still have my NAD 7125 for the old phono collection and (A/B comparison with the Outlaw, for that matter)

dave

Remember, flyrod, rennocneb is stating an opinion based on never hearing the Outlaw. Don't worry too much about it! I'm certain you'll be another happy member of the Outlaw family!

Welcome!

I've been told by several workers at audio stores that sell NAD that they're going downhill. Both the actual products and most of all they're QC(quality control). They are not the NAD of the 80s.

------------------

[B]Remember, flyrod, rennocneb is stating an opinion based on never hearing the Outlaw.

True enough...but I've had NAD for almost 20 years...and It's been one of the finest audio purchases I ever made...(the other that stands out was a tiny pair of Braun speakers...jawdropping sound out of them, also for 20 years.)

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm mitigating my impatience by getting the 6.1 speaker system mounted and wires strung...I think the 1st movie is gonna be THX-1138, which I have never seen...
dave

[been told by several workers at audio stores that sell NAD that they're going downhill. Both the actual products and most of all they're QC(quality control). They are not the NAD of the 80s.

Could be. Thanks for the input! I'm just hoping the Outlaw IS the Outlaw of the 2002's!!!!

dave

Flyrod...FANTASTIC MOVIE! If you guys want to check out the "whitest" movie of all time look into this Lucas freakout.

I have heard the outlaw just to clear that up and i still much prefer the NAD. There quality control is not a problem hoewever their amps are a little less gutsy than they were back in the good old Power Envolope days. But then again they are much smoother and warmer sounding now all in all just a flat awesome piece for the money.

[B]"I have heard the outlaw just to clear that up and i still much prefer the NAD."

Obviously you're an NAD fan, and so am I. I get the impression that the Outlaw engineers were trying to accomplish much the same thing with their products (put the money into the sound, and not the "looks," meanwhile trying to keep the costs down).

I ordered the unit last Wed...it's Monday and still no 1050. I guess I should be annoyed at UPS and not Outlaw, but I guess I got unrealistic expectations about getting the thing sooner (from reading all the "got it the next day!" posts.)

Note to all you Outlaw wannabes: It doesn't always arrive the next day.

"There quality control is not a problem hoewever their amps are a little less gutsy than they were back in the good old Power Envolope days. But then again they are much smoother and warmer sounding now all in all just a flat awesome piece for the money"

Again, thank you for your feedback...I am familiar with all that. I'm hoping the 1050 lives up to the quality I've lived with for 20 years.

Flyrod, you should have ordered it DHL instead of UPS. That is why you do not have it yet.

"Flyrod, you should have ordered it DHL instead of UPS. That is why you do not have it yet"

Now they tell me! Sheesh! And I used to carry DHL cargo on my plane, too You'd think the sum-biches could show a little hustle...

Ahem; You guys know what DHL stands for?

Delivered (an) Hour Late
Darned Hard Liars
Dewey, Heuy, and Lewey
Don't Hold (us) Liable
Drunks Handling Letters

(my DHL courier told me those one day)