Hooking up the Rotel with Multi Channel

[Foxman]

Ok, So I landed a sweet deal on a new Denon DVD-2900 ($720.00 delivered) and I should have it no later than Friday.
Question a: I have never had a multi channel unit, so is there anything I need to do on the RSP-1066 or RMB-1075 to set it up?
b: I have never updated my 1066 it is something like 2.2222 or whatever, is there going to be a bass management issue that I have never encountered?
c: updating my 1066 isnt a snap as I have never made or purchased the wire to do it, so it would have to be well worth the effort..is it that big of a deal?
D: Can I expect a noticable improvement in sound and video qualtiy by using a better set of cables?
E: What is the suggested way to hook the video portion of the dvd up for best performance?
Thanks for any input you can share.




You just can't fix stupid

[Danbry39]

That is a good deal, so congratulations.

I'll take a stab at a few of your questions.

A. You need to read the Denon's manual carefully. There will be settings you have to make in order for it to play DVD, DVD-A, or SACD. As far as the Rotel is concerned, off the top of my head, you'll have to indicate to the Rotel which input is from your DVD player. You will also need to push the Rotel's multi-in button on the front panel or the ext-in button on the remote so that the red multi light is on in the front panel to play DVD-A or SAC-D, and you'll need to buy the six (or seven if you're using a back channel) analog cables to connect from the DVD player to the Rotel. This is in addition to the coaxial or optical connection you usually make from a DVD player.

B. No, you don't have the latest firmware, but it's relatively recent. Refer to the "FAQ's" section at the top of the Club Rotel section and you'll find a lot of information on this and other issues, including answers to your bass management questions and what each of the more recent firmware upgrades bring to the table.

C. Try it out with your system and the way you have it set up. Some are more affected/annoyed with the problem than others. I will say however that many find the upgrade to be well worth it.

D. You own very nice equipment. Personally, I wouldn't dream of shortchanging the system with inferior cabling. That doesn't mean expensive, it means good quality and workmanship using quality materials. It doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. Actually, I've been able to save money over certain mass market cables which I don't feel offer the same degree of customization and quality you can find from independent vendors. Do yourself a favor and speak to Lex about this. He'll offer suggestions specific to your needs. Or, click on friends of HTGuide at the top of the page and click on some of the companies there to see their offerings. Personally, I've noticed a difference in both the arenas of audio and visual when I moved up to good quality cables.

Finally, just want to say that your setup should make all the friends and neighbors drool. :B What speakers you using?




Keith

[Foxman]

http://community.webshots.com/user/foxman112

Really crappy pictures of some decent HT equipment.
Thanks Danbry for the input I will take it one step at a time. If LEx catches this I need a quote!




You just can't fix stupid

[Danbry39]

Hey, RF-7's and SVS. I think you're going to really enjoy the whole combo. I have RB-5's in my bedroom. No way I could think about fitting the 7's in here. Make sure you mention this to Lex. You'll probably want to use something other than silver, which means a good copper conductor, in that silver might tend to accentuate the brightness in the RF-7's. Good luck.

If Lex doesn't see this by tomorrow afternoon, I'll let him know you're looking for him.

Keith




Keith

[Lex]

Foxman, what are you interested in? I'd love to help.

Thanks,
Lex

[Bill Blank]

FOXMAN,

That's the same combo I've got! Picked up my Denon 2900 a couple of weeks ago and couldn't be happier.

Just a few things that Danbry didn't touch on:

Regarding bass-management: If you do a ssearch on this board you'll find the 1066 has a flaw when using it's MULTI-INPUT. It redirects all frequencies below 100Hz to the sub, regardless of what size setting your speakers are set to. This results in a doubling of the bass if your crossover in the Rotel is set to anything below 100Hz.

To solve this problem you can perform the DIY "fix" by cutting out the resistors responsible for the bass-redirection or you can send your unit to Rotel and have them do the fix. The latter is the route I am taking as it won't cost anything and they'll be updating my firmware while they've got the unit.

To compound the BM issue in the Rotel, the Denon seems to have a BM issue of it's own in that it's SUB-OUT apparently has an output level 10dB lower than the other channels. This is apparently to compensate for Dolby's 10dB level increase on that channel. I suppose Denon assumed that people would use the MULTI-OUT for soundtrack playback rather than a digital connection.

The Denon's problem isn't really a problem for us 1066 users because we can go into the SUB-LEVEL menu and increase the MULTI-INPUT Sub-channel's level by as much as 10dB. Once I get my 1066 back from Rotel, I'll tweak that setting with a sound level meter as I'm not sure if it's quite 10dB.

As to cabling, I agree with Danbry in that you don't have to spend a fortune on cables but with the equipment you've got you wouldn't want to skimp either. I went with 3 pairs of Monster's M550i. With the amount the salesman gave me off of the 2900 the cables ended up being free. They're not top-of-the-line by any means but they've performed very well.

Enjoy your new purchase!
Bill




Rotel RSP-1066
Rotel RMB-1075
Rega Planet 2000
Denon DVD-2900
Mitsubishi WS-55411
Paradigm Reference Studio 100 v3
Paradigm Reference Studio CC-470 v3
Paradigm Reference Studio 20 v3
Velodyne CT-120