Receiver to replace Rotel Pre-Pro

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  • aud19
    Twin Moderator Emeritus
    • Aug 2003
    • 16706

    Receiver to replace Rotel Pre-Pro

    Well it's lasted about 14 years but a lack of HDMI and support for HD surround formats etc is starting to catch up to it. So despite it still being an excellent sounding unit, it may be time to shuffle it off to secondary (PC) system status and get a new receiver to run my trusty Rotel 1075 amp.

    Looking at replacing it with this little fella:






    It's got Atmos/DTSX support, HDMI 2.0a Connectivity with HDCP 2.2 Compatibility for runnig 4K in the future to future proof it as much as you can these days but is there anything else I should be holding out for? Any other make/model recommendations?
    Jason
  • Lex
    Moderator Emeritus
    • Apr 2001
    • 27461

    #2
    The Marantz units have pretty good sound quality at pre-pro level. Honestly, I might have bought this instead of my pre-pro at 1200 if I had seen it with pre-outs.

    My biggest complaint, my triggers quit working after about 5 months. Also, it seems slow to activate to show image to screen, then if you do anything to change settings, then it goes into a black screen mode for few seconds before finally showing an image. I guess it's a product of the HDMI processing.

    Maybe Chris can answer to this, as he is the resident expert on the unit I bought, and the advanced sound formats.

    It does sound pretty good, the trigger thing really bummed me out though. Well, I have a 3 year warranty I suppose, so I have some time to decide about sending it in.
    Doug
    "I'm out there Jerry, and I'm loving every minute of it!" - Kramer

    Comment

    • ldgibson76
      Member
      • Aug 2011
      • 58

      #3
      Hello Aud19.

      What are your intentions for your new AVR/Pre-pro? What's your initial priority? Audio or video? Do you plan on upgrading both at the same time or is this an audio first priority?

      I'm in a similar situation. I have an aging Rotel pre-pro (RSP-1069) and although it's equipped with 4 HDMI inputs, they're legacy v1.1. The 1069 has been a very reliable unit for me over the past 6 or 7 years. Even with the advancements of HDMI technology, I've been able to stave off the persistent inevitability of obsolescence. By using the Rotel's 1080P Amp mode (pass-thru) setting, I'm able to still enjoy 1080P video switching and have the decoding of high res audio done within the source device converting the signal to 7.1 LPCM and send the signal via HDMI to the 1069. Even with 3D blu-ray discs, I bypass the Rotel video pass-thru altogether by using a 3D/4K BDP with 2 HDMI outputs. The first goes directly to my TV and use the second HDMI for audio only and route it to the Rotel in LPCM. So I'm maxed out! In order to completely concede to the obsolescence, I must fully embrace the new technology, 4K resolution and the Dolby Atmos/DTS:X surround formats. Due to the new HDMI and HDCP standards for 4K and the immersive surround formats, to employ that new tech will require a complete system overhaul. :blink: An expensive proposition!! I could piecemeal it, which at this time, is the only option, other than sticking with what I currently have.

      So, the pre-pro would be my first step. The Marantz AVR's and pre-pros have been on the leading edge of making these new technologies available at virtually every price point. There are other brands that offer similar models, but the lower models in their respective lineups tend to fall short when it comes to audio quality. That's where Marantz tends to excel. Regardless of the model (upper, mid and lower tier), when compared to other makes, Marantz audio quality is considered superior. Of course, that's subjective. :W

      I'm considering the Marantz AV7702 MKII pre-pro. My setup has has 7 different playback devices so I need a pre-pro that's capable of accommodating them all.

      In your case, I would also look at both the Denon and Yamaha line ups. The Denon AVR-X3300W ($999.00) or the Yamaha RX-A860 ($899.95)

      Using either of these AVR's (pre-outs to connect the Rotel amp) would be very helpful in accommodating the extra speakers needed to employ the immersive surround experience.
      Regards,

      ldgibson76
      My Setup
      The 2 Channel Within
      "Chance favors only the prepared mind."
      -Louis Pasteur

      "Foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."
      -Douglas Adams

      Comment

      • ldgibson76
        Member
        • Aug 2011
        • 58

        #4
        Hello Lex.

        I haven't been too active on the HT Guide forums. When you say the triggers have failed and the HDMI switching is slow on your pre-pro, what unit are you referring to? What Pre-pro do you have?
        Regards,

        ldgibson76
        My Setup
        The 2 Channel Within
        "Chance favors only the prepared mind."
        -Louis Pasteur

        "Foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."
        -Douglas Adams

        Comment

        • aud19
          Twin Moderator Emeritus
          • Aug 2003
          • 16706

          #5
          Originally posted by Lex
          The Marantz units have pretty good sound quality at pre-pro level. Honestly, I might have bought this instead of my pre-pro at 1200 if I had seen it with pre-outs.
          Pretty sure I posted about this unit in your thread Doug :

          Originally posted by ldgibson76
          Hello Aud19.

          What are your intentions for your new AVR/Pre-pro? What's your initial priority? Audio or video? Do you plan on upgrading both at the same time or is this an audio first priority?

          I'm in a similar situation. I have an aging Rotel pre-pro (RSP-1069) and although it's equipped with 4 HDMI inputs, they're legacy v1.1. .
          As of now, it's largely audio priority to take advantage of the HD losssless surround formats as well as greatly simplify my HDMI wiring. A 4K TV is a good few years away for me (hoping for semi-affordable 4K OLED before I upgrade again) but if I'm buying something new now, I want to make sure it's as future proof as possible (both audio and video) so it will hopefully last as long as my Rotel RSP-1066.

          At least you have HDMI on your 1069! :lol: I'm running my HDMI (Roku 2 and IPTV box) to an HDMI switch with the ability to strip audio to optical SPDIF which then gets sent to the Rotel. Unfortunately, neither the switch nor the Rotel can do DD-THD or DTS-HD.

          As for Atmos etc, down the line, I could fairly easily add a pair of in-ceiling front speakers and run them off the receiver (while my RMB-1075 continues to run the 5 main speakers). So that's something I'm quite interested in. I'd just need to find some in ceiling speakers that would mate well to my older Energy Connoisseur speakers which could prove challenging.

          I may also at some point run some outdoor speaker off the front L/R receiver channels as well.

          Those last two points are the main reasons I'm thinking of going receiver over pre-pro. Built in additional amp channels.
          Jason

          Comment

          • aud19
            Twin Moderator Emeritus
            • Aug 2003
            • 16706

            #6
            Well...I went ahead and ordered it. Only 7 left and on sale until tomorrow.
            Jason

            Comment

            • wkhanna
              Grumpy Old Super Moderator Emeritus
              • Jan 2006
              • 5673

              #7
              Wooo Whooo!

              new toys!

              i think you will like it.
              _


              Bill

              Practicing Curmudgeon & Audio Snob
              ....just an "ON" switch, Please!

              FinleyAudio

              Comment

              • aud19
                Twin Moderator Emeritus
                • Aug 2003
                • 16706

                #8
                Originally posted by wkhanna
                Wooo Whooo!

                new toys!

                i think you will like it.

                Love the new toys. Hate to spend the money :lol:
                Jason

                Comment

                • ldgibson76
                  Member
                  • Aug 2011
                  • 58

                  #9
                  Congrats. I hope the Marantz AVR proves to be a suitable replacement.
                  Prior to the acquisition of the Rotel pre-pro, I owned the Marantz SR9300. It was a beast of a AVR. Excellent sound quality, but I wanted more. Shortly after, I added the Marantz MM9000 5 channel amp, using the 9300 as a pre-pro, which became my entry into the world of separates. There's no going back. :-y
                  Regards,

                  ldgibson76
                  My Setup
                  The 2 Channel Within
                  "Chance favors only the prepared mind."
                  -Louis Pasteur

                  "Foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."
                  -Douglas Adams

                  Comment

                  • Lex
                    Moderator Emeritus
                    • Apr 2001
                    • 27461

                    #10
                    I started out some months ago looking for a budget receiver with pre-outs. I couldn't find much, of course a grand is not really budget to me. I spent 1200 on the last year's model of the 7702, which was a good buy, it does sound good. But the triggers are bad.

                    Hey LD Gibson: The triggers going bad, are 1/8" mono connections that go between the pre-pro and the amps, typically in a daisy chained fashion. In other words, I wanted the Marantz to kick on my 5 channel amp, and my 5 channel amp to kick on my 2 channel amp (both from standby), and the 2 channel amp to kick on my subwoofer amp from standby. Trigger 1 worked for a while, then quit. I changed to trigger 2, it worked for a while, then it quit. A bit frustrating, but t here is a 3 year warranty at least.

                    I may get my Lexicon MC-12 fixed, which is an audio only processor (except for component vid), but the sound is oh so sweet. Once the MC-12 comes back, I may send the Marantz 7702 off for repair.

                    As to HDMI switching, whenever I change anything on my system, the video display goes black, then takes a few seconds to come back. That is what I mean by HDMI going away for a few seconds, it shows some message, but big whooop no picture is no picture. It also irritated me in that I could not play music and watch a video source on the same "source". I am spoiled from the Lexicon world where any input can be combined with any output, audio or vieo, and work. So I could listen to music from a CD player, and watch HGTV on Directv at the same time if I wanted. These are the limitations of my Marantz.
                    Doug
                    "I'm out there Jerry, and I'm loving every minute of it!" - Kramer

                    Comment

                    • ldgibson76
                      Member
                      • Aug 2011
                      • 58

                      #11
                      Hello Lex.

                      Thanks for your quick reply and explanation regarding the trigger functionality of the Marantz Pre-pro.
                      I do understand the need for 1/8" trigger functionality for activation of other devices. But check this out,..... My Marantz SR9300 AVR had a dedicated rca trigger to activate a connected Marantz amp of the same family. All that was needed was a RCA interconnect ran from the trigger out to the RCA trigger in on the Marantz amp. Once the SR9300 was activated, the 9000 would turn on immediately after. And very reliable!
                      Why Marantz abandoned that feature is beyond me. I think that for outboard amp connectivity, a dedicated trigger should be standard fare.

                      Now, with my Rotel/Anthem combo, the Anthem MCA amps have a trigger feature. Not only does it have the 1/8" triggers but there's a toggle switch that has a "Manual On/Auto on/Trigger on" option. So as soon as the pre-pro activates, the amps receive a signal and activates from stand-by. The amps reverts back into stand by status after 10 minutes of no activity. It's a lovely thing.


                      Toggle switch to the very left.
                      Last edited by ldgibson76; 07 July 2016, 20:00 Thursday.
                      Regards,

                      ldgibson76
                      My Setup
                      The 2 Channel Within
                      "Chance favors only the prepared mind."
                      -Louis Pasteur

                      "Foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."
                      -Douglas Adams

                      Comment

                      • ldgibson76
                        Member
                        • Aug 2011
                        • 58

                        #12
                        Hello Jason (Aud19).

                        You must break it down to the ridiculous. How many years do you plan on keeping the Marantz AVR? How much was the out of pocket damage? Now divide the est. years of ownership into out of pocket cost,.....
                        Now divide the cost by the # of days of ownership. You see what I mean? Not a bad return on emotional investment. I say emotional because when it's all said and done, it's all about the joy this hobby brings you and for some of us, it's priceless! :W
                        Regards,

                        ldgibson76
                        My Setup
                        The 2 Channel Within
                        "Chance favors only the prepared mind."
                        -Louis Pasteur

                        "Foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."
                        -Douglas Adams

                        Comment

                        • wkhanna
                          Grumpy Old Super Moderator Emeritus
                          • Jan 2006
                          • 5673

                          #13
                          i like the way this guy thinks.
                          _


                          Bill

                          Practicing Curmudgeon & Audio Snob
                          ....just an "ON" switch, Please!

                          FinleyAudio

                          Comment

                          • aud19
                            Twin Moderator Emeritus
                            • Aug 2003
                            • 16706

                            #14
                            Got it largely hooked up last night but still need to run calibration (with the kids out of the house/not sleeping) and reprogram our universal remote app (Touchsquid). Sure is a lot less cables though! :lol:

                            Tried running calibration last night with the wife and kids in bed... it's not quiet :rofl:

                            Somewhat curious though, on that quick, single run through (before canceling!) the calibration wasn't picking up be right surround speaker for some reason despite clearly hearing sound coming out of it....
                            Jason

                            Comment

                            • ldgibson76
                              Member
                              • Aug 2011
                              • 58

                              #15
                              Hello Jason.

                              So tell us, how do you like the Marantz as a unit? I mean compared to your Rotel pre-pro, build quality, the lay out and mapping of the menu (GUI), etc,....

                              I took a look at the 6009 a couple of years back and what turned me off was the heavy use of plastic on the fascia. The center area where the display and control panel is located is aluminum, but the outboard areas are plastic panels. Not saying that measures or determines performance, because it doesn't. It's just an aesthectics thing.:huh: I like metal!

                              I've been considering the Touchsquid app for my setup. My URC-850 has been an excellent remote but it too is long past it's prime and needs to be retired. Any drawbacks to using that app for remote duties?
                              Last edited by ldgibson76; 08 July 2016, 18:01 Friday.
                              Regards,

                              ldgibson76
                              My Setup
                              The 2 Channel Within
                              "Chance favors only the prepared mind."
                              -Louis Pasteur

                              "Foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."
                              -Douglas Adams

                              Comment

                              • aud19
                                Twin Moderator Emeritus
                                • Aug 2003
                                • 16706

                                #16
                                Well my Rotel is 13+ years old, so of course the GUI, feature set etc are leaps and bounds better in the Marantz.

                                The build quality is not as good but not horrible either. Also not surprising given the Rotel's price difference and that they're built like tanks. They both look nice (the Rotel clearly older but aging gracefully).

                                Love touch squid, great product and great customer service. They seem to be constantly improving it as well. I'm actually a bit behind on updating software etc so this will be a good opportunity.
                                Jason

                                Comment

                                • ldgibson76
                                  Member
                                  • Aug 2011
                                  • 58

                                  #17
                                  Originally posted by wkhanna
                                  i like the way this guy thinks.
                                  :thanku: The sentiment is appreciated.
                                  Regards,

                                  ldgibson76
                                  My Setup
                                  The 2 Channel Within
                                  "Chance favors only the prepared mind."
                                  -Louis Pasteur

                                  "Foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."
                                  -Douglas Adams

                                  Comment

                                  • PewterTA
                                    Moderator
                                    • Nov 2004
                                    • 2901

                                    #18
                                    How are you liking the sound of the Marantz? Does it match up to the Rotel (obviously, not when you compare the DTS-MA/True-HD codecs of course), but how do you feel the sound is with it. From the Marantz I've heard, it's seems to me to have a slight push/focus on the mid range where the vocals lie. You really notice the vocals stand out in a somewhat not natural way. It's nit picking mind you...but it's what I've heard (not in my system).

                                    I'm in the same boat with the Rotel RSP-1098 and it's screen (lamps to light it) died. I was thinking about the RSP-1582, but with HDMI 1.4 only and who knows when the upgrade would be... I don't think that's the way (even though it's killing me not to). So I was thinking about Classe Sigma Series, but they are slow to move forward (still have a month or two for the HDMI 2.0 Upgrade board. Which HDMI 2.1 is almost here (4k @ 120fps & 8K to 60fps) and products will soon follow... who knows how long they will take to upgrade.

                                    So that's left me looking at the Marantz AV7703, AV8802A, or AV7702mkII, Yamaha CX-A5100, Anthem AVM-60, or Emotiva XMC-1. I'm sure there's another one but those are off the top of my head that I looked at.

                                    I've got a Yamaha receiver on my smaller system just for TV use, so I'm leaning that way as I'm comfortable with the sound. Someone on another thread on another forum got all of them and compared them and ended up with the Yamaha initially, then someone told him about the Anthem and he said the Anthem beat them all out. He said Anthem's ARC vs. Dirac, Audyssey, or YPAO was much better, which I don't tend to use as I calibrate it all myself...

                                    So now I'm trying to figure out what I want to do (besides not spend the money). ha ha.
                                    Digital Audio makes me Happy.
                                    -Dan

                                    Comment

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