Solid construction, concise selection of features, easy to set-up, clean sound, user friendly

None

I have previously owned several receivers, most recently a Pioneer VSX-D557. I was looking for a receiver with better quality construction, cleaner amplifier sections, simple operation, and user friendly. Every mass maket company seems to have many gimmicks such as 30+ soundfields and other signal processing add-ons. My former Pioneer unit, while servicable, was strained at higher output levels and was not the best sounding amplifier I have heard.

I read many reviews here and decided to give the Outlaw folks a try. I placed my order via the Internet and within one hour I had two e-mails back from Outlaw. The first, verified that my order had been placed via the web and the second told me the expected ship date of my 1050 receiver. The next day I received another e-mail giving me my shipping tracking number. All seemed well - then I recevied an e-mail on the projected ship date that told me that my order would be a few days later, but Outlaw would extend their money back guarantee from 30 to 45 days for the delay. No problem, 2 days weren't going to hurt.

Two days later I received an e-mail saying that the next shipment of receivers had not come in and that they would be crediting my card back and would have my order on-hold status until the next shipment arrived. I was also offered to purchase a "b-stock" unit at $499 and they had several "b-stock" units reday for immediate shipment. I called Outlaw and inquired about a "b-stock" unit. Outlaw's "b-stock" units are returns from their 30 day money-back guarantee policy - no scatch and dents, all original cartons, materials, etc... and still backed by the same warranty and return policy. I placed my order on a Tuesday and received my 1050 receiver on Thursday. When they have the product - turn-around was fast!

I unpacked the unit and proceeded to re-do my wall unit. The user's manual was very comprehensive and easy to follow. My system consists of a Sony DSS unit, Panasonic DVD-CV40, and speakers (PSB Alpha A/V - Left and Right, PSB Midi - Center, PSB Sub-Zero - subwoofer, RCA 36" TV, and Niles in-wall speakers for the surrounds.

Once hooked-up and configured, I was amazed at how much better the 1050 sounded over the Pioneer. The sound was clearer and I began testing the unit with a variety of CD's and DVD's. The remote, while not perfect (no macro programming), was easy to set-up and worked with all of my existing equipment.

I really appreciate the gradual increase in the volume control, the numeric volume index, and feel of the receiver's controls.

Overall, I would say this is the best new component I have purchased - well done Outlaw!!!

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer, HK, Sony

Price / Features / Construction / The Outlaws

None so far

Before ordering I scoured the local shops for a mass made unit that could match the feature package of the 1050 at the offered price + import costs. Couldn't even come close. Total cost to my door $1020.00 CDN / Tax in. + the tank like build quality far exceeds anything in the price range.
Since my room is quite small (12 x 15) there is plenty of power. Movies sound exeptional in DD (haven't tried DTS yet). Also an improvement in DPL (compared to old Yamaha)and stereo music.
After using a month I e-mailed a few questions to the Outlaws. 3 hours later I received a phone call from one of the Outlaws, answering each of my questions in detail.
Need I say more.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha / HK

Terrific value, sounds great.

No digital output jack, S-video output sometimes distorts picture.

I am quite pleased with my purchase. I made do with a 50-watt Rotel preamp and amp combination for my critical audio listening for over ten years. This year I decided to make the jump to DVD and surround sound. The Outlaw 1050 sounded like the ideal choice for someone who values high quality audio but can't justify the diminishing returns when one starts talking audiophile-level prices (I'd rather spend that extra money on CDs and DVDs).

The swift FedEx delivery was quite impressive.

This receiver is solidly built and sensibly designed. The sound quality -- for both stereo and surround sound -- is excellent. Using a powered subwoofer, I find that the receiver powers my five bookshelf speakers with ease. I plan to add a centre rear speaker at some point.

Most of my audio-only listening (i.e. stereo) is done in regular stereo mode or with Dolby Pro Logic activated if the processing results in a pleasing effect. I don't care much for traditional surround modes to begin with, so I don't use Outlaw's "Hall", "Stadium" or "Jazz" effects enough to comment on them. I find the "Natural" mode rear speaker buzz, mentioned in previous reviews (and, notably, in the receiver's owner's manual), annoying.

The manual mentions that the "Natural" mode buzz will occur when playing certain source material. Just out of curiousity, I frequently switch to "Natural" mode just to see if there is anything in my collection that *doesn't* buzz (I'm zero for umpteen so far). A minor quibble since I probably wouldn't use "Natural" that much anyway.

Other "quibbles": I realize some compromises on features must be made for a receiver of such quality to hit its price target, but I really miss having an optical digital output to use with my MiniDisc recorder. Of course I didn't have one with my old analogue-only Rotel preamp, but then I had only one digital source to dub from (CD). Now, with a CD player, DVD player and recently adding digital cable to the mix, dubbing to MD from various sources calls for lots of cable-swapping. I would have happily traded the Outlaw's S-video jacks for a digital output. This brings me to my other quibble.

A few weeks ago, when playing "Where the Streets Have No Name" from the DVD "U2: Rattle and Hum" the picture started to flicker and jump. This occurred chronically at the point on the track where the strobe lights start to flicker as the Edge's guitar intro reaches its apex and the rest of the band is ready to kick in.

I first thought the DVD was defective or scratched, but then found it played flawlessly on other players. I then thought the player (Toshiba SD-3109) was the problem after a similar experience when watching any photo shoot scenes in the first "Austin Powers" movie (again, flashing lights were the culprits). It then occurred to me that the problem only started after I started to use the Outlaw's S-video switching capabilities. The problem disappeared once I returned to connecting my DVD player directly to the television instead of first going through the receiver.

At least in my unit, the receiver's S-video connectors cannot handle a rapid-fire sequence of strobe light-like effects. I don't mind not using the receiver's S-video switching, since I'll gravitate to using component video for DVD once I have a television that supports it.

This may seem like a lot of writing about shortcomings for a product that I quite like! I only dwell on my quibbles because they may be enough to turn some people off buying the Outlaw receiver. Personally, I can live with the shortcomings since my primary goal was to get a solid, great-sounding DD & DTS receiver for a great price. The Outlaw 1050 is such a product.

Similar Products Used:

None (this is my first DD-DTS receiver)

Solid Build, pre-purchase customer service, speed of delivery, price, 6.1 AND DTS!!!

no test signal for rear center channel that I could find.

Let me say first that I am not a major audiophile, I'm just a guy who loves movies and wants to hear the best sound I can afford.
I used this forum to get as much feedback as possible and was encouraged by all of the positive reviews. Being able to download the instructions from the Outlaw site was a major plus. I did have a couple concerns about the compatability with my existing equipment so I e-mailed my questions to them and received prompt and helpful answers.
Installation was almost a breeze. (if you read the directions carefully, you won't need to take an extra hour like I did.)
I think I'm the first person on this forum to mention that he uses the Bose AM5 speaker system. Good news........ they work great with this receiver. It sounded like I had bought new speakers as well.
The difference between this and my old Pioneer are night and day. My jaw dropped. I may never have to go out to the theater again!
I strongly suggest using the Terminator 2 Special Edition DVD for testing purposes. You can calibrate all of the speakers, (center rear included) with the THX Optimode test, and you can compare 5.1, 6.1 and DTS. This machine is amazing. The DTS was so distinct from the 5.1,there were sounds coming out of the speakers from all directions, I couldn't stop grinning.
So, anyway...., if you like movies, have basic mid-range theater equipment and can't justify spending a couple thousand dollars, you have got to get this receiver. You won't be disappointed.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer VSX-512S Pro-Logic Receiver

Clean interface, sound quality, price value

Where is the Outlaw DVD player, CD-R and Speakers?

Love it! I discovered this receiver at AudioREVIEW, made my purchase online and it was delivered the next day. What a dream up to that point...then reality set in. Reality being the transformation to an incredible home theater experience. Movie and concert watching (DVD) with the kind of sound the Outlaw receiver has brought my home system has brought the experience to a new listening level.

To date the concerts/musicals I've watched are the new Steely Dan movie, Dicks video picks of the Grateful Dead at Pittsburg, The Wall, Commitments, Yellow Submarine. This unit rocks! I think I need to step up and add the Oulaw amplifier to the mix. When I get the volume up to full at 75dbs it's still not enough for those moments when I need it really LOUD.

Note that I'm running a passive sub and it may be sucking power away from my Ohm Acoustics towers. Anyway, I would recommend this receiver for any reasonable home theater system.

I looked and listened to a lot of other home theater receivers at this price point and they did not measure up to the Outlaw. Something has to be said about cutting out the middle man and passing the savings on to the consumer.

When can we see more Outlaw separates?

Similar Products Used:

Sherwood RV5030R

Excellent rich sound, build quality is superb.

component video switching (Hell just run the video direct to the tv)

Oh My God! For $499.00 The Outlaw Audio 1050 is a steal!. I almost bought a Denon 2801. The Outlaw 1050 has everything I need. The build and quality (commercial grade) is far superior to the Denon, and the sound is as good if not better than the Denon. This makes me realize just how much of a markup there is on Denon Receivers.

Also, The Denon is cluttered with a mess of confusing buttons. The Outlaw is simple and elegant to operate. I love the clean uncluttered interface.

Some may Prefer the Denon 2801 for the excessive effects, but most audiphiles hardly use these and if so minimally. I find the Outlaw preset effects to be cleaner and richer in sound as opposed to processed sound of some effect on the Denon. Also The Denon has component video switching, but like most folks I talk to, the best picture especially for DVD is to run the video direct to the TV.
I'll take the high quality amp and circuitry over the component video switching, especially if I wont use it.

This unit would cost $1,000 or more if it sold in retail stores.

Similar Products Used:

Sony

Very well built, good sound, no needless features

None so far

The Outlaw 1050 is a replacement for a 10 year old Sony A/V receiver. I was considering either the Harmon Kardon 510 or the Denon 3801 A/V receivers both of which I listened to locally and proved to be pretty competent products. After careful comparison, I concluded that both the HK and Denon had many features and processing modes that I just wouldn't use. The 65 watts per channel power spec on the Outlaw was not a concern since power is always measured and published differently by vendors. Just in case I needed more power, pre-amp outs for all channels was a must. The Outlaw 1050 offered quite a list of competitive, no-nonsense features (see their web site). One feature in particular that I required was an adjustable active crossover for the subwoofer since I wanted to use a passive subwoofer with a seperate monoblock amp. I was attracted to one exlusive feature on the Outlaw which is a "night" mode that compresses the dynamic range for low-volume listening which is pretty nice if you ever watch movies when the kids are asleep.

I was attracted by Outlaw's business model and the apparent value of purchasing direct for $555 (including shipping). They offer a two year warranty on their products and I felt that if I had problems they would actually be easier to work with than if I had problems with either the HK or Denon which would require shipping the receiver off to some mysterious service center.

Outlaw Audio makes it very easy to order online. The receiver arrived in just a couple days. Like other reviewers I was very impressed by the build quality and the WEIGHT! Setup was very straight forward. The speaker configuration graphic on the display is really nice for getting a quick visual on the selected sound mode. I was immediately impressed by the significantly improved musicality over my old Sony receiver; frequency response was very flat across the full dynamic range. The remote control is very usable and worked flawlessly with the rest of my gear.

I have had this receiver for almost a couple weeks now of serious use and would recommend the 1050 to anyone interested in a quality A/V receiver over any competitor in the less than $1000 range.

Similar Products Used:

durable-looking unit, cheap for the sound

bad remote

Based on reviews, I took the plunge and I've had it for about six months now. Here's a collection of impressions about this receiver:

This unit is sensitive to video cables. I was getting really odd video behavior (red/blue scrambled screen, no video) until a switch to videophile grade composite cables. The folks at Outlaw were as helpful as they could be, but they couldn't figure it out.

It'll be hard to get better sound at this price. I was auditioning some floor-standing speakers hooked to a Marantz AV receiver retailing at $1200. Had to ask the salesman, "Can I listen to something... better?" That was strange. Was definitely surprised. Switched to Krell and was fine for several hours.

In terms of sound quality, I've definitely heard better. My tube preamp and amp sound way better than this unit.

The remote control is lacking. Outlaw should have stayed at the same price point, but upgraded the remote. I'm thinking about getting a master control to consolidate everything. One peeve with the Outlaw remote is that when you switch from tuner to VCR, then later hit the volume button, it doesn't raise the volume on the tuner.

Who should buy this? Those who don't want to pay a lot for good sound.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz

sound quality (stereo & multi-channel),ex surround

remote,ergonomics,set-up

Received product in a couple days and was pleasantly suprised of the weight of this unit. Very heavy for a $499 dollar receiver. After plugging it in and connecting the inputs I found that one of the surround binding posts was stripped. I contacted "Outlaw" and they imformed me to ship the unit back to them and refunded me the shipping costs.
When I received the 2nd unit about a week later every thing was in perfect condition. I have very large front speaker (Dunlavy SC-IV's) which I used in my previou set-ups with large amplifiers,and I didn't believe the Outlaw would handle them well so I moved my surrounds to the front (Dunlavy SC-I/AV's). I only intended to use the Outlaw in my theatre room for a short period of time and planned to put it in my living room once I upgraded my Theatre room.
After listening to the Outlaw for a couple of months with the Dunlavy SC-I speakers I decided to throw the SC-IV's in there and see if the Outlaw could handle them. The 65w per channel Outlaw did just fine and I am in no hurry to upgrade back up to the hi-end pre-amp/amp products soon. I can definitely live with this product for a while.Excellent soundstaging ,imaging, and overall sound quality.
This is an excellent product for its price and probably well beyond its price.
My only complaints are of the remote,set-up,and ergonomics,but to get this kind of sound quality from a product at this price,how can anyone really complain. I previosly owned a Lexicon MC-1 and a Citation 7.0 using Classe amplification prior to purchasing the Outlaw,and will eventually upgrade back up to a hi-end setup...but this Outlaw is good....really good.

Similar Products Used:

owned Lexicon MC-1/Citation 7.0/Sony TA-E1000ESD/Pass Labs X150/Classe CA-200&CAV-75/Acurus A-150/Sony TA-N55ES&N220 and two older Sony AV receivers

overall sound, seperation of the channels, DD and DTS decoding

no phono input

A week ago last Thursday I called my good friends at Outlaw Audio and had them ship me out a 1050 6.1 receiver. Having read all the positive reviews about this unit I was anxious to get my hands on one. To my surprise it was at my doorstep the next morning!

My first surprise was the weight of the package. Its weight is rated at 40 lbs. but my back says otherwise! The build quality of the unit is exceptionally high. (One of these days I am going to take the cover off of it and take a few pics to upload here.) The receiver comes double boxed and well protected from those in the shipping business that try to keep us from getting our toys in one piece.

My speakers consist of one of the earlier Def Tech line. I am using the BP 20s for the mains, CLR 1000 center and the BP1X for the surrounds. I do not have a sub hooked up to the system yet. All speakers were set to my room with the Radio Shack DB meter.

I sampled the following on DVD. The Matrix, The Professional, Eagles Hell Freezes Over, Fleetwood Mac The Dance, The Fifth Element and X Men. On LD I used Terminator II, Beauty and the Beast and Star Trek The Undiscovered Country.

The specs of this unit and its features can be found on this site and other sites such as mine at Home Theater Forum and I will not go into them here. What I do want to talk about what is important to me, its ability to produce great sound.

With every single piece that I used to test this unit's ability to reproduce the sound off of the disc I was blown away. No distortion was heard from the low end to the high end. The separation of all five channels was precise at the same time. Vocals out of the center channel were clearly delineated from the rest of the speakers when all sorts of fill music or sound effects were thrown into the mix. What I was listening to enveloped me with sound. I have heard all of these particular movies and concert discs multiple times and yet I was now hearing sounds that I had never heard before.

You know how when you hear something so fine that all you can do is sit back and smile a lot? Well, I have been smiling a lot these past 3 days. My ears are very happy!!

If you are in the market for one fine receiver and piece of equipment then you cannot go wrong with the 1050. Being priced at only $599 is icing on the cake.

I cannot give it a higher recommendation.

Parker