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Review 4 of 131
Price Paid:
$0.00 Summary: Not much to say that hasn’t already been said, just felt like adding my voice to the many others that praise this product. I went from a warm (but somewhat “mushy”) sounding Harmon Kardon Pro-Logic receiver to the 1050 for my bedroom system. It took a couple of weeks to warm to the neutral sound, but I grew to appreciate it over that of the Harmon Kardon. It reminds me of the sound of a NAD integrated I owned for a while. Dynamics are surprising, and it’s very capable at driving my NHT Superzeros – something that few, if any, low-priced receivers can do without coming off sounding hard or bright. But that’s not to say that it is perfect amplifcation – I did not enjoy its sound as much as that produced by my Sony STR-DA777ES (another on-line legend, but three times as expensive) on my more expensive NHT 1.5s in my former “main” system. However, I have since graduated to separates (an ATI amplifier) and full-range NHT 2.5i speakers, and I would have to say that the Outlaw/NHT Superzero combination, in my bedroom at least, comes respectably close to that sound.
The Outlaw’s 6.1 capability was a good selling point a couple of years ago. But this feature has now been matched and surpassed by many other receivers in its price class. It has also been somewhat left in the dust through its lack of Dolby Pro Logic II and the DTS equivalent, which in my opinion are very nice to have for routine television viewing and (gasp!) listening to certain types of music like rock and pop. But within its price class, I would hazard a guess that it still beats all the others in sound quality and amplifier build. How could it not? The “advances” in competing receivers, namely the addition of two more amplifiers on most (7.1), have certainly come at the expense of amplifier power and quality. And I find it hard to imagine its build quality has been beaten yet in its class – don’t be fooled by its plain appearance (which I personally like) – this is one solid, heavy, nicely built piece of equipment.
If you are interested in getting the best sound quality at a low price, and do not care about Dolby PLII, this is the one to get, especially if you are putting together a budget system based on NHT Superzeros or Superones, which it drives with aplomb. If you have a higher budget, you probably want to look elsewhere, but purely because of the lack of DPL II. I doubt the 1050’s sound quality can be topped in the under-$1000 receiver category. Strengths: Quality amplifier section, solid build, neutral sound Weaknesses: A couple of generations behind the competition in features: namely, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS-ES, and DTS-Neo6. Similar Products Used: Harmon Kardon AVR 25 MkII, AVR 325 (currently in use as pre-amp only), Sony STR-DA30ES, STR-DA777ES.
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