Advice on selecting a Pre-pro for Rotel 1095 would be much appreciated

[nzl8dc]

I'm new to the forum , I just installed a Rotel 1095 amp and 5 M*Design Eleganza (4 ohm) speakers and Godfather Sub in my home.. using my 5 year old Denon 330 as Pre-Pro ... and want to upgrade the Denon to a separate Pre-pro (maybe 1068 or 1098)...
My question - it seems that both the Eleganza's and the 1095 are "warm" on high end, and am concerned that the whole setup right now is not very"bright" ... and worrried that getting a rotel Pre-pro would only make this more pronounced so that it truely becomes a problem??? (I'm thinking the 3300 does not help matters...) Does anyone have a setup or advice using the 1095 and an Arcam AVP 700, Anthem AVM 30 or Outlaw 990 - or something similar - ( including 1098 ) I'm looking for a really "Clear" sound... Thanks!

[bigburner]

If you want "bright" and "clear" then B&W speakers are the upgrade you need. If you trawl through this forum you will find that these are frequently used adjectives to describe B&W.

...which isn't very helpful if you purchased your Eleganza speakers recently.

[gostan]

I am not familiar with the Elganza's, but I have demoed the Rotel 1095 and formerly owned a Rotel 1098. However, recently I sold the 1098 and inserted an Arcam AVP-700 in its' place. The 700 is, IMO, the best sounding 2 channel pre-pro available under 2K, and its' surround capabilities are up to par with the Rotel. It mates well with my B&W speakers. I did not demo the AVM 30 because all reports indicated that it's 2 channel capabilities were not up to par with either the Rotel 1068/1098 or the Arcam. To my ears, the Arcam is open, articulate and warm w/o sounding harsh. I will say that the Rotel interface is a bit simpler to use.

My question to you is how much ht and 2 channel do you listen to, and which has a higher priority. And how much do you want to spend? The Outlaw is considerably less expensive than the Anthem, Arcam or Rotel units.

Being familiar with the Arcam and Rotel units, I believe, that you cannot go wrong with either. You would need to demo the Anthem (and remember that there is a major upgrade to the AVM30 around the corner). I understand that you could also demo the Outlaw for 30 days at home and then return it, is not satisfied. It has received very good reviews for its' price point. Which pre-pro is always the toughest decision in the audio-video chain.

[David Meek]

Hi George. :welcome:

Kinda off topic here, but I like your listening buddy that's curled up on the mat over to the side. :T

[nzl8dc]

I am not familiar with the Elganza's, but I have demoed the Rotel 1095 and formerly owned a Rotel 1098. However, recently I sold the 1098 and inserted an Arcam AVP-700 in its' place. The 700 is, IMO, the best sounding 2 channel pre-pro available under 2K, and its' surround capabilities are up to par with the Rotel. It mates well with my B&W speakers. I did not demo the AVM 30 because all reports indicated that it's 2 channel capabilities were not up to par with either the Rotel 1068/1098 or the Arcam. To my ears, the Arcam is open, articulate and warm w/o sounding harsh. I will say that the Rotel interface is a bit simpler to use.

My question to you is how much ht and 2 channel do you listen to, and which has a higher priority. And how much do you want to spend? The Outlaw is considerably less expensive than the Anthem, Arcam or Rotel units.

Being familiar with the Arcam and Rotel units, I believe, that you cannot go wrong with either. You would need to demo the Anthem (and remember that there is a major upgrade to the AVM30 around the corner). I understand that you could also demo the Outlaw for 30 days at home and then return it, is not satisfied. It has received very good reviews for its' price point. Which pre-pro is always the toughest decision in the audio-video chain.

Thanks - I listen mostly to HT... the major reason I bought the Eleganza"s are that my wife liked them - they were the ONLY speakers we saw that she agreed with.. only other option was in-wall... so i'm stuck there... this set-up is in our family room - so reality says most of the day it's on Home and Garden TV, Alias, etc.... good news is i can watch Football, DVD's etc without going to basement where "regular" HT setup is. Anyhow, since i've gotten this system, we now spend much more time listening to music - not critical listening, i'm afraid... so the HT is probably most important.
Since i'm stuck with the speakers, and the Rotel amp (which I do like) i just need something that is very clear - don't want to muddy things up at all... regarding $$ , i'm thinking the "pace of change" in Pre-processing appears to be rapid, and the idea of only $1,100 for an Outlaw seems to be a safer bet, and it does HDMI consolidation, which i would like to use (I need to run a very difficult cable run to Plasma, and 1 wire would be lot's easier) , and I noticed it has a mode that "adjusts" for speakers being "close together" - which is a situation i have that cannot be changed... however, if the 700 actually sounds better, more tight and defined, i don't have a problem spending the extra $$$.. i appreciate your comments - since you actually had a 1098... if you don't mind, what moved you to actually spend the $$$ to replace it... the switch had to be expensive?

[Lex]

A springer spaniel, isn't it? Cute dog, but seems totally uninterested in the photography of the room, lol.

I suggest checking our 2 sponsors, Media Design and Cinema Source for your equipment needs.

Lex

[nzl8dc]

A springer spaniel, isn't it? Cute dog, but seems totally uninterested in the photography of the room, lol.

I suggest checking our 2 sponsors, Media Design and Cinema Source for your equipment needs.

Lex

Actually, it's a "Cavalier King Charles Spaniel" :-) thanks - i will...

[bhuskins]

Pricey Pooch!

Just like our taste in AV.

Brent Huskins
Media Design

[aud19]

Actually, it's a "Cavalier King Charles Spaniel" :-) thanks - i will...

Had one of those as a kid

That's a tough call on the gear. Sounds like the Outlaw might be a good option for you without putting up too much $$$. Otherwise I agree with Lex, contact one of the forum sponsors and see what they recommend :T

[FENDEBENDER]

I'm kind of thinking about brightning up my system, i have the rotel 1095 with the rf 7's and its laid back approach help on bright speakers, but sometimes just a little more than i think i want, however with the right connectors they could be perfect, 8O But i understand your concern.

[nzl8dc]

I'm kind of thinking about brightning up my system, i have the rotel 1095 with the rf 7's and its laid back approach help on bright speakers, but sometimes just a little more than i think i want, however with the right connectors they could be perfect, 8O But i understand your concern.

sorry , but i don't understand the "right connectors" comment... what type would make an impact?