Managed to babble a bit (sorry). Just thought I would post my decision process, as I was also looking at the HK receiver line you mentioned.

I bought a 1050 about a week ago. Before finding the Outlaw site, I was planning to buy an HK. Originally I just wanted a receiver to put downstairs, so I could put the old Sony back up here with the computer. Web-shopped at Circuit City and the like and thought I would buy an HK AVR120 for $399. Was concerned about the power though (I think only rated 45/channel at 0.07% thd). Thought maybe $399 was too much to spend for something that I wasn't sure was what I wanted. Started looking at HK AVR-220 and 320 even though they were more expensive.

Saw the name Outlaw in a list of 100s of receivers on audioreview.com. Went there to see if maybe there was something I had not thought of, and the name just stuck out (had not heard of it before). Lurked on the boards here a bit, read all the info on the 1050, downloaded the manual, etc.

At $499, the 1050 is between the prices of HK-120 and 220, and I felt like I was getting more for my money with Outlaw. Would have liked Pro-Logic II but figured I could live without it. One thing in particular was that I liked Outlaw's statement on how they rated their power. Also saw many mentions that although only 65W/channel, it felt more powerful than many so-called 100W/channel models. That plus the lower distortion when compared to the HK was a big factor for me -- as mentioned I was concerned about the HK's lower power, and I didn't want to have to run out and buy a separate amp.

Might upgrade to 950/750 combo or equivalent sometime, but not in any hurry. I like the clean sound of the 1050 and feel it is a definite improvement over my old Sony. Well, that's how I decided, best of luck with your decision.