RSP-1066 OR NAD T163 ... CHECK THIS OUT...

[Gadgets]

U know this murphy law, that the very same day you buy the thing you most wanted for the last couple of months after cruising the web for nights & nights and then you find something else that claims better & totaly blows the wind of your dream ?... well this is the kind of stuff make you feel bad.

The good & the bad -

T163 has a tuner, 230v/110v switchable, more processing features, more inputs & outputs, new updated model, less expensive...

http://www.nadelectronics.com/ht_amplifiers/T163_framset.htm

The bad - 3 years warranty (compare to 5), nad's reliability & quality issues (but this one is software upgradeable...), ugly duckling.

Well guys ??...

[skipm]

Sounds to me like you have a bad case of "buyers remorse". If you had rather have the NAD then just return the 1066 and get the T163. You can only rely so much on other people's opinion and manufacturer's specs. If you really want to make sure you've make the correct decision, you need to listen to both in your home, connected to your equipment.

-Skip

[Gadgets]

LOL Skip... you should change your nick from SkipM to Skip MD... lol

But i agree with you... i might do that... just wanted to get some more opinions before getting into buying the t163 as well & start checking it..

[skipm]

Gadgets-

I wish I could help more but I've never owned NAD gear. I know they were very highly regarded in the 70's and 80's as being audiophile quality at a reasonable price. I have read a few things on some of the other forums having to do with QA issues and customer service problems. Also, some of the promised firmware upgrades never materialize. On the other hand, people who own NAD appear to be a very loyal group.

A controller purchase is a major purchase, one not to be taken lightly. I know you can't go wrong with the 1066 but if you have doubts then you owe it to yourself to check out the NAD.

And, to confuse you even more, you do know that Rotel will announce replacements to the 1055, 1065, and 1066 in 2 weeks?

-Skip

[Gadgets]

Dear DR. Skip, the dealer did told me there's gonna be an RSP-1068 and he'll retail for $1699 instead of the $1499, but i have no need for any of the new features (I really 80% into pure stereo listening) & i've got his last 1066 for a really really good price. (And i must say i'm very impatient buyer and want it all now ! ) :LOL:

As i haven't got my speakers yet (i've just moved) - my 1066 is still in the box & i'm sure the dealer will gladly take it back if i'll have any regrets, I had to ensist his salesman will stand for his word & sell it to me like he promised on the phone. (this unit was the very last one & was reserved to a custom installation, i guess mr. Goodwitz will be happier with the 1068... .

[Andrew Pratt]

The Good...its got 5 presets for BM
The Bad...no THD specs and tuners typically increase noise which is why Rotel removed it from the 1066
The ugly...well it is a NAD

[Eiffel]

If you want a RSP-1066 with a Tuner, for less money... you could try the RSX-1055 (this is the Rotel 95/5 rule -- you get 95% of the sound quality of the 1066, and get 5 free 75W channels of amplification)

One other thing to consider: AFAIK, NAD tuners are region specific (either RDS or RDBS), Rotel ones work with both systems.

And conversion between 110/220V is very reasonable for Rotel gear ($50 per component)... sure a switch would be cheaper, but how often will you use it?

Of course this doesn't answer the question about which sounds best... 1066, 1068 or NAD...

[Lando]

With the 1066 discontinued and the 1068 retailing for $200, I think you may have just shown me right alternative. While the general consensus of Rotel owners is that NAD is ugly, I disagree. It has a minimalistic approach to utility that really appeals to me.

Has anyone seen a review of the T163? Kinda weird about the missing THD, huh?

[Gadgets]

I dunno were did you all take that the THD values are missing ?? d/l the .PDF file & you get it all...

ANALOGUE PERFORMANCE: THD+N 0.008%
DIGITAL INPUT PERFORMANCE: THD+N (10HZ-20KHZ BANDWIDTH) 0.008%
Anything else ?

[Lex]

Something else to consider for the future. the Rotel probably would have better resale value on the home theater side. NAD, maybe for the stereo crowd. But that even is debatable.

I can't comment on the two units, as I am out of the loop.

Lex

[Lando]

Thanks, G. I wasn't able to download the PDF and the THD was missing from the site specs.