Back in college, I had a Pioneer VSX-401 stereo receiver. It was replaced by a Yamaha RX-V690 pro-logic receiver (80Wx3, 25Wx2 for surrounds) in 1997, which was a noticeable improvement. The upgrade to an Outlaw 1050 in 2000 was an even bigger step up in sound quality than the Pioneer to Yamaha step. I enjoyed my 1050 greatly for almost two years before upgrading to a 950 -- it's a nice sounding piece of equipment. I would expect it to compare very favorably to the Onkyo.

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