|
Reviews
from Sweden and Norway
From
Hemma-Bio/Sweden, 10/01
AMONG THE
OUTLAWS
To be an 'Outlaw' means
to stay outside usual laws and rules. We like those who dare
to go their own way - anyhow if it's in a positive manner.
In the wake of these people there often appears innovations
and an unorthodox thinking.. Outlaw has taken themselves off
the common road by daring to manufacture products where
money has gone to good sound and quality and not to
unnessesary bells and whistles.
...
OUTLAW
1050
The first impression is a
feeling of solidity.The weight is about 17 kilos - mostly
due to the solid power supply. The chassis quality is high .
The finish is matte black. You get a retro feeling when you
look at it - a successful cloning of NAD and Denon - with a
drop of design from the B&O of the seventies - please do
not misunderstand me - Outlaw 1050 is simply a nice piece
of work. I like the principle - less is more - and this
receiver really stands for this motto.
...
The display is divided
into two parts - one green/blue to the right and a left part
showing speaker functions. Quite neat and practical - you
get a good view and it is easy to adjust all
parameters.
...
The Outlaw logo is really
something special. And the splendid design will fit very
well in many stereo racks and bookshelves in home cinema
enthusiast's homes.
THE REAR
The rear is worthy of
imitation. It's easy to survey all connections and it is
impossible to make any errors. Besides the regular analog
inputs there are two optical inputs and one digital input.
There are also composite and S-Video inputs but no
component-video which nowadays do often occur on gear at
this price range.
5.1 inputs makes it
possible to connect, for example, DVD-Audio players and the
5.1 button on the front gives you a direct connection
between an analog source and the amplifier completly
separated from the digital stage. Pre-out gives you the
possibility to use the receiver as a preamplifier with
another power amplifier.
Six speaker outputs for
spade and banana, sub out, antenna connection, 12 V
triggering for auto-start of other gear, impedance change
switch for the speakers and an IR input conclude the rear.
All connections are gold-plated.
THE REMOTE CONTROL AND
OWNER'S MANUAL
The remote control works
perfectly. It does not include all the features many remotes
have. But what it does, it does with style. The quality and
ergonomic feeling is very high
A blue back-lighting is
activated when you use it. The remote is a real suprise. The
ergonomic design does indeed feel much better with less
functions than monsters where you only use mostly 10% of the
gadgets. The owner's manual is praiseworthy. Only a few
illustrations but excellently written.
GENERAL
Inside, the Outlaw is
neatly organized. Also here you can see a quality that is
uncommon at this price range. A very big power supply and
six power-stages each 65 W and other electronic parts in
separate departments inspires confidence. Sixty-five watts
per channel doesn´t perhaps sound too much but we can
assure you that it is enough for most people.
THE TUNER
The tuner is an FM/AM
type with RDS, and it´s easy to use. It works well,
with listener-friendly sound, without any shrilly additions
which might be disturbing with tuners.
THE CINEMA
SOUND
On those occasions when
the movie includes effects where the rear center channel
(6th) is working, the result is impressive. The sound stage
is wide, somewhat laid-back and warm. The upper ranges are
well defined and never shrill. The midrange is warm and
natural but somewhat to the dark side. The bass goes
relatively deep and responds quickly...
THE 2-CHANNEL
SOUND
As a music medium the
Outlaw does a splendid job, where sounds are reproduced with
all the airiness and resolution which is nessesary to make
them feel natural.The treble is very open and nuanced, the
mid is warm, airy and natural.
You can listen to Outlaw
1050 for a long time without fatigue. Its sonic character
will suit many people and it will be a splendid choice for
most of the speakers on the market. Also those with
audiophile requirements will like the Outlaw 1050 for its
musical qualities.
SUMMARY
During the test, I used
speakers from Definitive Technology and their bigger BP 2000
line. In both cases, Outlaw 1050 performed very well.
The Outlaws has been
smart and haven´t put money in the wrong places.
Instead it has been used to guarantee a splendid product for
you as consumer with high quality electronics and
construction. A six channel amplifier and the most important
necessary functions. No "Bells and Whistles." Outlaw feels
like a very well-built and quality product - which I,
without any reservation, can recommend if you are about to
buy a receiver around 10.000 SEK [$1000] and can
live without DTS-ES decoding (available using the 5.1
inputs, though).
All Outlaws, whether they
are riding horseback to their jobs or not, are very much
appreciated when they go their own way and manufacture an
excellent product where the consumer is at the center. We
are looking forward to testing more new exciting products
from the Outlaw gang.
+++
From
Lyd & Bilde/Norway 11/01
"For those who fancy home
cinema, but do not want to spend a large amount, and also
want to play your CDs, then the Outlaw 1050 is an
alternative to put on your shortlist."
|