deep soundstage musically, built like a tank

buzz in natural DSP mode

i replaced a technics HT receiver with a model 1050, and immediately noticed a big difference in sound while playing cd's. much deeper soundstage, fuller sound and more clarity between the instruments and vocals. i am a wannabe audiophile, but due to budget constraints and my wife i have to live in the audio world of mass marketers. still, for the price i paid for my system, i am very pleased.my system is as follows: outlaw1050 receiver, panasonic a115 dvd, polk audio rt55 fronts, polk cs400 center, polk rt25 rears, velodyne va1012x sub.

Similar Products Used:

yamaha, pioneer, technics

Excellent build quality, strong amps for power rating, nice features, ease of use and a great generic remote. Outlaw customer service is top notch!!!

Overall sound is a little off balance with over-extended highs and lack of upper mids. Processing is not very intelligent, and DSP modes all sound the same! NO Cinema or center channel equalizer is a big minus IMHO.

The Outlaw 750 was a must audition for me since I knew how much success Outlaw had with their 750 amp. However, the 1050 was a bit disappointing, but please note that I consider myself to be very picky with receivers since I've owned seperates. FIRST, I CANNOT say enough about the build quality, because this receiver is way above the class of $600 receivers in this regard. Second, Outlaw customer service is second to none as always. Third, this receiver is feature-packed with the exeption of Cinema or RE-EQ, which I find very useful for bright movie mixes. Do NOT allow the tone control feature to be a substution for the Cinema EQ either because the tone controls only work for the left/right speakers, and NOT the center channel. So if you plan to run phantom with no center channel, than the latter does not apply to you.

The largest problem I found with this receiver, was that it sounded off balance with my M&K S-125 satellites. Although the punch and dynamics were there, it seemed to over-emphasize the highs and it left a gap in the upper mids(this was with the tone controls set flat.) There wasn't enough warmth either, but I wouldn't consider this receiver bright. Instead, I would say that it had a little too much treble and not enough mid range. It was almost like it could have benefited an external EQ. When I hooked a $800 Onkyo Integra DTR-6 up next to the 1050, I could hear a drastic improvement in overall balance. The highs were smooth and not over-emphasised, and the mids were much fuller and warm like I was looking for. The other major area that the Integra won me over was in bass management and processing. The Integra's high pass filter seemed to do a better job filtering out unwanted bass signals, and it's processing was much smoother overall - the Integra always switched to the proper surround format, while the Outlaw did not. In Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS, the Integra again sounded less compressed, and it's RE-EQ feature for the center channel really was a big plus. In stereo, both receivers belted out plenty of power but the Integra was smoother, with warmer mids and a nice lush top end. The 1050 on the hand, sounded dynamic but with over-extended sharp highs and a lack of upper mids. The sibilance factor was also more profound with the Outlaw, and this is a big peeve of mine. As far as the DSP modes, the Integra has 5 channel stereo which is cool, and the other DSP's are average but at least a could differentiate between them. The 1050's DSP modes all sounded "exactly the same," with the exeption of 3 channel stereo, which was very good.

I cannot give any input on how these receivers performed with full range speakers, but with my "80hz and above" M&K satellites, the Integra was a much better performer, proving that the Outlaw's performance DOES NOT exceed the $600 price tag, but the build qaulity does!!!

I can recommend the Outlaw to audio enthusiasts that are not extremely picky, or are really looking to use the 6.1 feature, but for you audiophiles out there that are looking for a $600 receiver with no glitches, you need to seriously audition this receiver first.

Keep in mind that this is Outlaw's first receiver, and with that in mind, it is a great product. However, in the processing department, it definitely falls short. To conclude, I'm willing to bet they get it right the next time around - great effort!

Testing System:

M&K S-125's, and S-125 center channel
M&K S-85's
M&K MX-125 II sub
Integra DPC 5.1, 5 disc DVD/CDP
AP Oval 9 speaker cable
Harmonic Tech. Pro Silway II and XLO Sig. 1.1 IC's, HT Cyberlink digital, and Pro AC-11 powercord

Happy Listening!

Similar Products Used:

Denon 3300, Marantz 7000 and Onkyo Integra DTR-6.

easy to use, good sound, excellect customer service

audible hiss, very weak tuner, needs a bit more power, noisy remote

I got my first receiver a little over a month ago and my initial impression was very favorable. I knew there were some compliants about hissing so I tried turining up the volume with no source selected. To my dismay, there was an audible hiss at the listening position at about 50 or so on the dial ( it goes to 80). This would be fairly normal if that volume position represented a high db level, but this was the level I was playing music and dvd's at. My def techs have a high sensitivity rating of 91, so I do not blame them for the problem. I called Outlaw and they were very quick to replace the unit stating that there could be a defect. I used the second unit less than ten minutes before I noticed the same hiss. It really bothered me that I was only using two channels and could still here the hiss. I could only imagine how noticible it might be if I had five more speakers.

In addition to the hissing, I was extremely dissapointed with the tuner on this unit. Many of the major players in this price range are infamous for cutting costs on their tuners and Outlaw seems to be no different. I hooked the unit up to a powered antenna and still received inferior perfomance compared to the tuner on my $20 alarm clock radio.

My final gripe is a small one which lies within the otherwise wonderful remote. You can not disable the backlit feature on this remote. When it lights up, it sounds like the most annoying mosquito I have ever heard. The reps at Outlaw said that all backlit units have this problem, but I find that very hard to believe.

I don't want anybody to think this is a bad reciever, because it is not. I mearly suffers from the same problems you would find in comprably priced units. If you buy this reciever expecting a great $600 unit, you will probably be pretty happy. If you think you are cheating the system and getting a $1000 unit for $600, you will be returning the reciever to Outlaw, as I did.

Similar Products Used:

yamaha

Excellent product in terms of quality and value.

None so far.

This is an outstanding receiver in the sub$1000 price range. It has the look of a high-end receiver. The sound quality is very close to more expensive separates. I was worried about the limitation of 65W per channnel output, but it is more than enough for me. The DTS demo in the Eagles' 'Hell Freezes Over' sounds outstanding. Overall, I think this is the best receiver I ever owned.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha, Sony ES

it looks like high end stuff and the sound is terrific in stereo(not testing 5.1 and 6.0 digital surround yet)

Hiss at 75 dB

The reason why I bought this product because it has a reasonable price and 5.1 and 6.1 digital surround. I also listened to the 5 channels 750 at Hifi 98; therefore, I wanted listen to the receiver 1050. After two weeks, I decide to keep it and thanks to the nicest people in the customer service of Outlaw. The sound is very clear and you can hear mostly the details of each instrument even though it cost only $600, why spend so much money for the high end products. I have not tried with either 5.1 or 6.1 digital surround but I am sure I will not disappoint.

Similar Products Used:

Denon 3300, Yamaha RV995

Customer service, Sherman tank build quality, remote, simplicity and economy of design, clean amplifier output, price.

LCD display a little weak, not as feature rich as some competition.

Wow, sometimes I'm totally blown away by a product, and this is one of those cases. I first heard about this receiver thanks to the numerous good reviews here, and those reviews led me to purchase this receiver.

I should mention that I also audiotioned many other receivers, but quickly became turned off due to the "feature-itis" nature of the Japanese receivers, and the overall cheap build of most of the other receivers. The HK was especially disappointing. While a nice looking receiver, it clearly is in a lesser class than the Marantz and Outlaw models.

On to the testing! The ordering process was painless, and the behemoth Outlaw receiver (it's got to be ~40 lbs) arrived rapidly, and in fine working order. After connecting everything, I discovered that my sub (a DefTech) wasn't using it's auto on/off feature correctly. I e-mailed Outlaw, and received offers to immediately ship a new receiver, and detailed step by step help to resolve the problem. It turned out to be a DefTech problem (they still haven't returned my calls). This kind of customer service goes well above and beyond the shoddy service exhibited by mass market manufacturers like Harmon Kardon, Sony, and Yamaha. My hat is off to Outlaw for such a classy commitment to their product.

After I resolved my sub issue, I played around with the setup, and was amazed at how much power this receiver has. I've owned many other receivers in the past, but none could match the fluid, liquid like sound and effortless power of the Outlaw. It delivers such a clean and rich signal at both high and low volumes, a must for the home theater setup, where music is played differently from DVDs. Although the amplifiers are only rated at 70 watts per channel, this receiver is much louder than my previos Onkyo, which was rated at 120 watts per channel. Also, there is much less distortion at high volume levels. You actually have to max out the volume before you can start to here a hiss through my speakers (NHT SuperTwos). Another interesting feature is the excellent heat dissipation. My Onkyo will get Hot (with a capital H) after two or three hours of high output. The Outlaw warms quickly and maintains the same temperature. Excellent heat sinks predict long term reliability. Overheating electronics is the quickest way to shorten their life span.

In addition to the rich sound and fabulous customer service, I feel the need to comment on a few minor details. First, the build quality. Excellent. True five way gold binding posts, quality sheet metal, an excellent finish, and a quality appearance. As someone below noted, this receiver reminds me of NAD designs. Very classy, and not neo-Japanese tech, like every Denon/Onkyo/Yamaha/Nakamichi receiver out there. This definitely stands out in a rack. I'd also like to point out the remote. While most receivers have cheap, awkward, throw away remotes, like the Marantz and Onkyo especially, the Outlaw has an excellent universal remote, which controls gobs of equipment, has excellent ergonomics, and *gasp* is backlit. Very nice, and controls every piece of equipment in my system, giving me two remotes that do that (I also have an RCA learning remote).

If I had to quibble with anything, I suppose I would have to say that the LCD screen is rather ordinary. It's not cheap or poorly laid out, it's just no match for a Sony ES level dot matrix display. It also lacks some of the more esoteric features of the competition, but come on, who really uses 30 different DSP modes? I would also have liked an on-screen video setup, but at this price range, I'm obviously dreaming.

In summary, this would still be a five star review at the $1000 price range. However, at about half that, this is the only receiver to consider in that price range.

Do yourself a favor, and listen to one. They have a generous 30 day return policy, but I doubt you'll take advantage of that when you both see and here the quality of this receiver.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz, Denon, HK, Onkyo.

Price, build Quality, Customer support, Ease of use, great sound

Product website does not have a lot of detailed info ..yet.

I am impressed. I swapped out my old reciever (same power rating) and put the outlaw in, no other changes were made. The outlaw made my speakers sound MUCH, MUCH better. It's Dolby Pro Logic processing was incredible (mitsu vcr for input ..independance day). Watching this movie was a whole, new experience. At half volume, the movie was just too loud ;> The sound placement was incredible, I am a very happy customer. I just played a bunch of cd's (Zepplin, the Cult, Nine Inch Nails etc.) and the sound was crisp, clear and stayed that way even at 3/4's volume (any louder than that and I would have to leave the room ;>) For the Dolby Digital testing, I used a Toshiba sd-2200 dvd player and the matrix ;> The picture was so clear and the sound processing was awesome, can't wait to try another movie ;> I was very impressed with the outlaw customer support and am confident that this reciever will be with me for a while ;> For the price, I feel like I really could not have found a better product. I am a very satisfied customer and would definately reccomend this reciever. I found no flaws with this product, was impressed with how easy it was to set up and it greatly exceeded all of my expectations for a reciever at this price point.
The universal remote was better than I expected, but not as good as I hoped ;> It works perfectly for my reciever, cable box and TV. It will power on/off all of my equipment, but I'll have to experiment a bit to get it to do more than that for my vcr, dvd player and cd player.

Similar Products Used:

none

Sound, Build Quality, Customer Service

None

I am the webmaster for Zalytron. www.zalytron.com. I have owned many of their systems. I am used to speakers that are very detailed and revealing to the point of showing flaws in the electronics. My current speakers are the Dillon Acoustics Metaphors. www.dillonacoustics.com. These are incredible speakers and really show what kind of sound a receiver puts out. I upgraded from a Pioneer Elite VSX-59 prologic receiver.
I let the receiver break in for about 8 hours before I really gave it a close listen. I imediately noticed a smoother over all sound and a much larger sound stage. This is the best I have heard my speakers in my family room. All styles of music I tried showed similar improvement over the Pioneer.The Pioneer is rated at 110 watts x 4, I weighed both units before installation and found that the Pioneer weighed 21 lbs, the Outlaw 38. What a massave transformer!
This is my first DD receiver and I love the effects. I noticed that even in prologic that the Outlaw produced superior rear channel enhancement. I am very happy with my purchase.

Clear & open sound sound. Very good ergonomics.

Probably not a good match for inefficient speakers in a large room. Lack of digital inputs.

I tortured myself and lanquished for many hours and days, no make that months, about whether to go with a receiver or separates. Even though receivers have been getting progressively better over the years, none of then, save the Nak, did an adaquate job at stereo reproduction. Worse than that, the current crop of surround modes they boasted, again the NAK being the exception, sounded abhorrant, completely artificial. What to do? I signed up to be put on the waiting list for the Outlaw 1050 about 6 weeks ago, just in case I still hadn't found anything. When it came in last week I was auditioning a low cost separates alternative, a technics SHAC500D with an Audiosource amp One A. Pretty good sound, especially for the price, and very non-fatiguing, unlike the Anthem MCA 5 which I tried the week before.
Let me first preface my subjective rantings on this product by saying I haven't spent all that much time listening to it and have watched only one movie with it. Long term listening may alter my opinions somewhat. On the other hand, first impressions should not be dismissed out of hand, and in most cases provide the must accurate assessment.
The first CDs I put on were Elton John and Neil Diamond. When I try and discern the quality of a product, I need to hear familiar vocals. My first impression? Uncolored, open, and natural presentation. This kind of sound for a $600 receiver, right out of the box, borders on the insane. This receiver trashes the $800 marantz as well as others in that price range. The Marantz sounds more colored, and even though it's rated at 100wpc, the 65wpc outlaw actually sounds more powerful and tuneful. The Onkyo is not a bad sounding unit either but it's not nearly as smooth or transparent. The only real contender in this group is the NAK, which has more bass grunt, but doesn't quite match the overall smoothness and lack of grain of the Outlaw. As far as the separate amps I've tried it is much better balanced than the overly bright and bass shy Anthem amp and has greater midrange transparency and treble detail than the Audiosource amps. My speakers are rated at 89db efficiency and had no problem driving a large room, although, I do have them crossed over at 60hz to my sub, which somewhat ameliorated the demand placed on the amp.
As far as the surround modes, there doesn't seem to be that much difference between them although only the phantom mode is selectable thru a digital input and although it sounded pretty good, I somewhat preferred the "natural" surround setting on the NAK. Others may differ.
Operationally this unit is very easy to use and you hardly even have to open the manual. Crossover settings range from 60 to 200hz?, a range that I don't necessarily agree with. I believe a setting of 40hz would be more useful than ANYTHING above 100hz. The only other negatives are it has only one coax digital input and perhaps, at 65wpc, will not drive power hungry speakers to the levels desired by various listeners.
When I ordered this amp I had the intention of using it as a pre-pro and getting a separate two channel amp that would satisfy my 2 channel music needs. I'm starting to re-think that idea. The only question that remains is it's reliabilty. Hopefully that won't be an issue.
Aside from the few minor complaints mentioned this is an exceptionally well engineered product that also sounds very, very good. I just might save myself the shipping charges and keep this thing.

Similar Products Used:

Nak AV-10 Onkyo Integra DTR7 Marantz SR7000 Anthem MCA5
B&K AV5000 among others

Very pleasant and friendly customer service, clear sound, decent manual and remote.

None

I used this site to review and research for my first av receiver. I was looking for a receiver that would give me decent power to center my home theater. After considering price, customer service, and support, I decided to go with Outlaw. I listened to and considered Denon, Yamaha, and Sony. I chose Outlaw because of value and the comments at this site. Thank you people for your honesty.
This is the updated version of the b-stock unit. No flaws or problems for me. The unit is heavy but it fits nicely in my wall unit. I am a novice at hooking up connectors and what to use. The manual was very helpful. When I couldn't figure out what to do, the people at Outlaw were very accessible and answered my questions. You won't go wrong with this receiver. I am discovering new sound from my speakers every time I watch dvd's and listen to my cd's.
Anyone in Hawaii who wants a great product from an excellent internet seller, Outlaw is the one! Mahalo, Outlaw!

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First AV receiver