What features would you like on the next Rotel Preamp?

[boe]

Well I have held off on my purchase of the 1068 (and bought a 1056) until they incorporate HDMI inputs. So heres what I would like to see in its sibling

1. HDMI audio and video switching (4 inputs)
2. More digital audio inputs
3. RDS Tuner
4. Cut down the number of component/s-video inputs
5. SACD 2.0 compatible
6. Support for new Dolby/DTS formats
7. MP3 decoding
8. UPGRADIBILITY!
9. Drop in price? :B

I know most/all items on the list have been mentioned by someone or the other. But as the title reads, it is something I would like to see in my next 1068.

I agree with many of these - can you tell me what RDS is?

How did you want to feed the mp3s to it that need decoding? I'm not against the idea mind you but I've played back MP3s I've downloaded from the web and while they sound fine on my computer - the loss on my high end system sounds pretty bad.

There was a mention of putting this in the next Aussie PDF list - does the creator send this to denon?

[Kyle]

RDS = Radio Data Service, it allows FM broadcasters to broadcast information like the station name (or song names, but I've never seen one that does it).

Sort of useless since nobody really uses it, my alpine headunit had it.

I don't see a point for mp3 decoding really either, i don't see how you'd feed it except through firewire or something and that would mean that the device on the other end would need a driver or some sort. Any dvd player that plays mp3s via a digital connection of some sort would be pretty much the same thing, wouldn't it?

[boe]

Ahh - thanks.

I was recently in a POS rental car but the dangedest thing - the radio actually did display all that stuff even though it wasn't satellite radio. The speakers were trash so I didn't use it much.

[scient]

RDS is nice, cause a lot of times you hear songs that you like but don't have any idea what the name is or who the artist is and of course you were not paying any attention to the RJ :B

You are right I didn't think the MP3 idea thru. Scratch that one. No point in getting out a encoded stream from a player .

[boe]

RDS is a nice thing if you listen to the radio at home. I myself don't ever use it so I'd be fine if they made a seperate RDS tuner. I'll listen to the radio in the car since the controls are on the steering wheel so the moment the commecial breaks come on I can flip stations instantly.

I bought a tuner to go with my preamp because I used to listen more - I can count the number of times I've used it with my two hands - not a wise investment for me. If it wouldn't change the price of the preamp much, I'd be fine if they included it.

[Kyle]

Where do you guys live that your radio stations broadcast RDS song titles? I've tried my RDS capable headunit in Rochester, New york city, and Philadelphia and never once seen an actual song title streamed (just the stations call letters, or occasionally some saying).

I know RDS is big in europe though.

[Mitchell]

Q104 in New York City broadcasts song titles. I see them all the time.

[Kyle]

Ahh, must have missed it. Now that I'm a perm NYC resident i don't have my car anymore

[PPV]

NO head phone, NO Tuner/Network radio - Only separate units

1. Analog Devices DSP
2. Texas Instruments (Burr-Brown) or AK DACs
3. Texas Instruments (Burr-Brown) or AK ADC
4. digital audio inputs
5. Upgradeable software
6. video switching/transcoding,
7. video scaling from 480i to 480p/720p/768p and 1080i - ?

[Kyle]

1080p! Video scaling would be cool. Although a lot more tvs (at least RPTVs that i've seen) are starting to do upscaling to 1080i.

I'd really like an expansion port of some sort, although that never seems to work out.

[USBeauty]

I have RDS on KFOG here in San Francisco.

Bruce

[boe]

I think the video scaling would be more for their 1098 replacement. But I would have to say I would like a good ADC and DAC. Sorry I changed the first post but the title didn't take, I should have originally posted upgrades for the 1068 successor.

I think there are enough people out there who will pay the extra money for video switching to go to the 1098 successor but there are enough people who would like to save the money and patch their video direct and get the 1068 successor.

NO head phone, NO Tuner/Network radio - Only separate units

1. Analog Devices DSP
2. Texas Instruments (Burr-Brown) or AK DACs
3. Texas Instruments (Burr-Brown) or AK ADC
4. digital audio inputs
5. Upgradeable software
6. video switching/transcoding,
7. video scaling from 480i to 480p/720p/768p and 1080i - ?

[boe]

I wouldn't mind a hidden front input for HDMI and a Digital input. I might be alone on this so I'm not saying they should put it in unless there was a large demand for that feature. I think most of the other features in my first post have a wide enough demand that they should consider including all of them.

[ht_obsessive]

Given the future launch of the 'video enhancer' RVE 1070 it seems highly likely that on the next product cycle HDMI is going to feature in the video enhancer but not the pre/pro(s).

I hope that the RVE 1070 has:

couple of s-videos

three component video i/p

three HDMI

all assignable, all converted to HDMI 720p output

follow-me input switching for the pre/pro

(Sorry to hijack the thread a little but does anyone know how far off this spec the unit actually is?)

THEN current and future pre/pro's need handle audio only and be optimised for it????????

Rotel would not be bringing out the RVE 1070 and then putting sophisticated video conversion and handling in its next gen pre/pro's.

HDMI switching in the pre/pro is only uniquely useful if the pre/pro can strip out the full bandwidth multichannel digital audio part of HDMI and use it. There does not seem to be a stampede (yet) among AV mfrs to do this.

[boe]

THEN current and future pre/pro's need handle audio only and be optimised for it????????

Rotel would not be bringing out the RVE 1070 and then putting sophisticated video conversion and handling in its next gen pre/pro's.

I'm not quite sure I follow your meaning but I think you are saying if they put video conversion in their receivers than they will put it in their preamp. I'm not against them throwing it in but I'm saying I think of the 1068 successor to be more for audio features and the 1098 successor more for people who want video functions as well. I could be off on this but that is my feeling.

[ht_obsessive]

Hi boe,

The RVE 1070 seems to exist as a product available in the near future, it is going to be a video processing and switching device only - a bit like the iscan and lumagen units. Check out this thread:

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=11606

The point I was making is that if Rotel begin to sell such a video device I don't think that identical video processing features will then feature on, say, the successors to the RSP 1068 and 1098 - not this time round at least.

[BKSinAZ]

HeadPhone Jack!!

I know this sounds petty...but I really would like a headphone jack.

[boe]

Hi boe,

The RVE 1070 seems to exist as a product available in the near future, it is going to be a video processing and switching device only - a bit like the iscan and lumagen units. Check out this thread:

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=11606

The point I was making is that if Rotel begin to sell such a video device I don't think that identical video processing features will then feature on, say, the successors to the RSP 1068 and 1098 - not this time round at least.

Thanks - I appreciate you giving me this info. I'm fine with it being a seperate unit although I'm sure there are people who would like it on some UBER preamp. I just don't think they need to include it on the low end one.

[boe]

Someone mentioned on the firmware update thread they liked having two way communication between the PC and the preamp. I'm not sure how important this would be to me but others may have stronger opinion to convince me if this would be important to have.

Thanks

[basementjack]

I think they already have 2 way communication. Thought I read a post somewhere where someone said the PC terminal program displayed what was on the front panel?

[Kevin D]

Yup.. You can fully control any of their newer receivers and preamps from a PC or home control system. Someone had actually made some software that had all the controls and emulated the display.. I don't believe he has updated it for the new 1056,1067,1068, & 1098 though.. The source is available and could easily updated..

Kevin D.

[Blazar]

the knobs on the 1098 were horrible... i'm sure most would agree. what was with the selector knob sensitivity?

I agree with removal of TFT, phono stages, headphone crap, and the substandard video switching. Go with outboard video switching. Bryston had this right and should be a standard for "separates". balanced circuitry and xlr output is the way to go.

Improve the heatsinks on the case, the 1098 got pretty hot.

[soundhound]

On board active x-overs for mains w/ corresponding pre outs. Many mfgrs, make bi ampable speaks, many own multi channel amps, would seem reasonable. Also a 2nd set of component video outputs on the 1068.

[boe]

On board active x-overs for mains w/ corresponding pre outs. Many mfgrs, make bi ampable speaks, many own multi channel amps, would seem reasonable. Also a 2nd set of component video outputs on the 1068.

My speakers are bi-amp capable so it would nice to have this feature if I wanted to take advantage of it. I've been considering a new amp. Short of getting a 4 channel amp for two channels, are there any that let you truly take advantage of the bi-amp feature.

[boe]

I guess the big question is - does listing these things make any difference? Do you think Rotel reads these sorts of links? And even if they did, would it alter their plans?

[lmib]

Symmetrical Front Design like the RSX 1055
2 SACD 6 Channel Chinch Inputs
DVI Input and Output
Radio Tuner

[soundhound]

boe, you bet Rotel gets wind of this wish list, if they don't take the time to directly read all, the moderators of this guide have connections and see to it they get a list. As far as will they? It's all about giving consumers what they want. If they see a specific item requested by enough people, and the change is cost effective, I would bet it will be done.

[mikeyc]

So would anyone want to hazard a guess when the replacement for the 1068 is coming out?

[DrJRapp]

So would anyone want to hazard a guess when the replacement for the 1068 is coming out?

If Rotel stays true to form then I would say that the replacement for the 1068 should be announced at CES in January of 2007 with availability in March-April of 2007.

[nash]

And the successor to the 98? A year earlier?

[boe]

If Rotel stays true to form then I would say that the replacement for the 1068 should be announced at CES in January of 2007 with availability in March-April of 2007.

2 more years? Do you really think so?

[boe]

I was hoping Jerry or someone else might confirm the release date.

PS Thanks everyone for contributing your ideas on this list!

[boe]

I saw a list on a few different forums mentioning over 100 new HD-DVDs coming out before the end of the year. Hopefully Sony will be releasing some titles in hi-rez format as well. That might get the release of a preamp that handles DTS-HD and Dolby Plus in gear. Frankly I'm not sure if the DTS and Dolby standards have been finalized yet but I'm hoping to see some activity on all of thes fronts soon - as I'm not patient when it comes to technology.

There were several surround formats DTS-ES, Matrix etc that my system was able to handle with a firmware updgade - free download - no hardware upgrade. I'm hoping manufacturers give their equipment enough growth potential to handle these two new formats. Although the next version of Windows is not out so I have no final specs on it, I do already know about video and memory requirements and I can guess about disk requirements so I can make sure systems I build at this point are ready for Longhorn or whatever name MS goes with.

[rnoble]

Headphone socket - Dolby Headphone option
3 * hdmi inputs
ilink inputs
THX Ultra2 certification (can you get this in a pre?)

[pbarata]

- Phone input (MM/MC)
- Headphone socket - Dolby Headphone option
- 3 HMDI inputs configurable for audio only (PCM, DolbyD, DTS, DVD-A with SiL9031 Multi-Channel Audio Receiver Chipset,SACD), video only, or both
- 2 HDMI outputs
- Faroudja DCDi FLI-2310 Faroudja DCDi FLI-2310
- optional I-Link IEEE1394 interface (Digital Audio)

[boe]

pbarata,

Thanks for your feedback. Can you give more info on the Faroudja components? My appreciation for them is starting to wane after seeing their lack of progress at CES these past two years and the fiasco related to the components used in the Denon DVD players (BTW - still no firmware availalable to fix the faroudja many issues including macroblocking). I'm starting to wonder if they lost their best engineers or they've stopped innovating at this point. Perhaps the components you mention are the best but I'm having my doubts about faroudja at this point. (mind you, just 5 years ago I would have said faroudja oooh aaaaahh)

[Mr. Mxyztplk]

The RSP-1068 is pretty close to perfect for my system. Its that next gen DVD format that scares me from buying one now. Anyway, what I would like to see is:

Digital support for HD-DVD audio format via HDMI or iLink

Remove support for composite video, we need the space

Make the analog inputs assignable (a la lexicon) 16 inputs that can be assigned as two 7.1 sources, one 7.1 and four stereo, one 7.1 one 5.1 and one stereo, etc

Parametric EQ for frequencies 250 (again a la lexicon) and below or just sub channel

Bass management feature to route surround bass to one sub, front bass to another sub or left/right channel options

[Fishy]

Balanced outputs would be nice.

Fish

[TMHobbies]

Three wire mains

[boe]

I appreciate everyones input. Can you tell me what you mean by three wire mains?

[Kyle]

I think he means grounded plugs.

[TMHobbies]

yep ground plug. I would like to run an isolated ground

[basementjack]

Don't you already have an "isolated" ground - if there is none?

[boe]

yep ground plug. I would like to run an isolated ground

I don't have a 1068 so I don't know. Are you telling me the electrical cord only has two prongs? If so is it attached to the back of the 1068?

I like the components that I have that use the removable universal chords like my PC and Monitor have. The removable chord makes it much easier to deal with when I am moving around my equipment. The 1068 may already have this but if it doesn't I'll put it on the list on the first page unless there is a reason I shouldn't?

[soundhound]

The 1068 has a detachable power cord. TMHobbies may have meant balanced outs as Fishy listed just b-4 him.