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