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Info / opinions re: Outlaw 1050 HT receiver

Hi, all:

It's my turn to seek some advice. My ex-wife and her husband assembled an inexpensive HT system about a year ago, and against my advice they bought a really cheap Pioneer HT receiver. They have grown to hate the unit, and I concur that it is the MOST frustrating and user-hostile piece of consumer electronics I have ever worked with (yes, I'm the one who gets the "help me" call every time the damn thing acts up). Before the Pioneer poc gets recycled as a boat anchor, I said I'd do some investigation for them and provide a few recommendations.

I was thinking of recommending the Outlaw 1050 receiver to them, since their budget is $500-600 and the Outlaw seems to offer a lot of performance for the price. I have a few questions to pose to the owners of the Outlaw 1050:
1. Is it easy to use? This element is of paramount importance. My ex-wife's husband gets terribly frustrated if he can't simply push one or two buttons to access the functions he wants. I will do the initial setup and calibration.
2. Does the unit perform reasonably well? Bear in mind that my ex and her husband don't expect a lot (plus, he has a pronounced hearing deficiency). The HT receiver they buy will be used for both music and playing movies. Their system consists of a Pioneer DVD/CD player, Polk RT100i powered main speakers, a Polk center channel speakers, Polk rear surround speakers, and a 36" Sony WEGA XBR monitor.
3. Any concerns about reliability and/or repair history?

I'd appreciate any info that our readers can provide, but you don't need to limit yourself to my two primary questions. Any and all info will be helpful in their purchase of a new receiver.

Thanks in advice for your comments.

Scott C-
sdcampbell
blw
147 posts
 
I'm not an owner, but I *have* heard this unit quite a bit (a friend has one) and it's really good for its price. I don't think it's really been out long enough (2 years?) to have a reputation for being reliable or otherwise. They certainly seem to be built well.

It's good enough that I thought about getting one for my office, but it's more than I need there. (I'll probably just run some long wires and use Zone2 of my SSP75.)
newbie13
242 posts
 
For easy of use NAD is another good option.
ehider
286 posts
 
I own two;

Ease of use - Can be slightly confusing if having to switch back and forth on inputs since the digital/COAX connection is not self detecting and has to be toggled thru...Ease of use is the Outlaw's slight downfall IMHO

Sound - Superior to anything near it's price in terms of slam, dynamics and a non-agressive transistor sound (read typical Japanese receiver harshness non-exisitant). The low power rating bellies the Outlaw's sound as it sounds MORE powerfull than any Japanese 100w offerings I compared it to.

Reliablity has been an issue in the past with Outlaw, but I think they've fixed all the little bugs. My first receiver died after the first year and Outlaw FED-X'd me a new one even before I returned my dead one! Now that's some serious customer service!
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