Video Asylum: REVIEW: Outlaw 1050 Receiver by HD Audio

I set up my first HT system two years' ago. At that time, I evaluated Marantz, Sony ES, Pioneer Elite, Yamaha and Denon receivers. The criterias that I had were DTS, under $1000.00 and sound acceptable to me. I picked the Denon AVR2800 based on my own listening tests. I have numberous other 2-channel systems that I used for listening to music, so this system was strictly for HT. Recently I sold the Denon to a friend who had listened to my HT set-up. I sold it because I heard about the Outlaw 1050 and was curious about it.

I ordered the Outlaw on Saturday night before Martin Luther King's birthday and received the unit on Tuesday. First impression is that this unit is very hefty. The owner's manual states that it is 36.3 lbs. I finally had the unit hooked up. The speaker connections are some of the best that I have seen in this price category. All the RCA connectors are gold plated. Two unusual features on this unit are a power switch on the back of the unit to turn-off the standby feature and an impedance selector for 4 or 8 ohms. I run all the video components directly to the TV so I don't utilize the video connections in the receiver.

The cosmetics of this unit is what I would describe as industrial and is similar to early NAD units in appearance. The fluorescent display is rather small and does not display a lot of information simultaneously. This is one feature I miss after owning the Denon. Setup for the surround sound was also more difficult than the Denon. The test tone cycles automatically and as far as I know, there is no way of cycling it manually.
The Denon also offered individual gain controls for each speaker. In the Outlaw, the front and rear speakers are controlled together. You can adjust the gain for front, rear, center and sub woofer. There is also only one line output from the receiver for the sub woofer.

Now the heart of the review - how does it sound? More natural and realistic than the Denon. What impressed me the most initially was when I viewed the DVD's that I use for evaluation, it reminded me of the first time I heard the difference between Dolby Pro Logic and DTS. That's the difference I perceive between the Denon and the Outlaw. Does this sound as good as a well modified Dynaco ST70? No, but for HT, it's the BEST that I have heard in this price range.

REVIEW: Outlaw 1050 Receiver Review by HD Audio at Audio Asylum