I've had the Outlaw 1050 for well over a year and am still very satisfied. Their website currently shows that they have "B"-stock units available for $439 plus shipping. That would save you $60 off the regular "A"-stock price.
If your budget is really limited and the $500 is seriously stretching, there are other options. Out on ebay and here at Audiogon you can find new, refurbished, or used gear in your price range. Granted, it might not be brand spankin' new gear from Outlaw, Onkyo, or Denon, but you might be satisfied with something else if you're just getting started. Also, you could consider a receiver that is a little older and simply ProLogic (or digital ready) instead of having Dolby Digital or DTS decoding on-board. From just doing a brief scan on the receivers here, I note some receivers from Marantz, Yamaha, Denon, and Onkyo with the most expensive listed at $289.
I still stand by recommending the Outlaw 1050. If however, you could get into serious spousal trouble by spending that much (as I've almost done), then I think that you can still get a good used receiver on this site at a more comfortable price.
Chris
If your budget is really limited and the $500 is seriously stretching, there are other options. Out on ebay and here at Audiogon you can find new, refurbished, or used gear in your price range. Granted, it might not be brand spankin' new gear from Outlaw, Onkyo, or Denon, but you might be satisfied with something else if you're just getting started. Also, you could consider a receiver that is a little older and simply ProLogic (or digital ready) instead of having Dolby Digital or DTS decoding on-board. From just doing a brief scan on the receivers here, I note some receivers from Marantz, Yamaha, Denon, and Onkyo with the most expensive listed at $289.
I still stand by recommending the Outlaw 1050. If however, you could get into serious spousal trouble by spending that much (as I've almost done), then I think that you can still get a good used receiver on this site at a more comfortable price.
Chris