Club Rotels influence?

[Andrew Pratt]

I got to talking with Erik this afternoon and we were wondering how much of an influence Club Rotel has had on our membership as far as purchasing their products. What I mean is would you say Club Rotel influenced you in some way to purchase a Rotel product and if so what did you buy?

[pjdami]

Yes. I would say that Club Rotel has influenced my purchase decisions. I recently purchased a RB-1070 power amp to maximize performance and dynamics for two channel music using my RSX-1055 as a preamp.

Paul

[Danbry39]

I can't really remember if it directly influenced me in my purchase of the 1066 pre-pro, but I'm sure Club Rotel does have an impact on Rotel sales. Look at how many posters come here for feedback on Rotel's products. How many have ended up posting that they ended up buying from Rotel's product line? Seems to happen all the time and, I believe, there is a reason. The friendly, helpful nature of the board gives someone a place where they can share their experiences and help or be helped with decisions and problems. Combine that with Rotel's ability to offer the goods at a very competitive price and you have an influence on sales.

I think Rotel should offer the membership "Club Rotel" t-shirts.




Keith

[I'mListening]

My personal experience is that Club Rotel did have an impact on my decision to purchase Rotel separates.

I am not a "spontaneous" buyer of HT equipment. I study long and hard every piece of literature, magazine article or forum post that have relevence to a piece that I am interested in.

There is a plethura of magazines catering to A/V equipment these days, but rarely do they actually provide an honest, unbiased review. Product reviews usually are informative, yet tend to read for the "positives" and not the negatives. Also the reviewers are subjected to the components for a limited time. Funny after having a piece of equipment for awhile, and the excitement wears off how we suddenly start noticing various quirks or limitations in the component.

I found that here at Club Rotel there are many "experienced" owners of Rotel equipment. They share their likes AND dislikes of their equipment. They offer suggestions of improvement to what could be added or changed to make their Rotel item better or easier to operate. These are the people to listen to when shopping for Rotel. Not the advertisers.

Someone who is satisfied and happy with a product is less likely to proclaim it to the world...unlike someone who is frustrated and angry at a product who will shout it from the mountain tops! IF someone is unhappy with their Rotel unit...this is the ultimate place to post it. However, I haven't seen any "flaming" posters here at the Club...nor at any other A/V forum.

Did Club Rotel twist my arm into buying....No. But the posts offering tales of satisfied customers....Rotels customer service....FAQ's....suggetions and directions for upgrades and firmware....suggestions of Rotel separate's configurations....on and on.... Did give me the peace of mind that my dollars spent would be well spent on a Rotel purchase!

During my shopping I also asked questions of the Rotel technicians. The technician was always quick to reply and straight to the point. Another sign of excellence in customer service!

All I can say is that Club Rotel DID have a positive influence on my decision to buy the RSP-1066, RMB-1075 and the RB-1050. Also knowing that after my purchase that at Club Rotel will continue to assist me with firmware information and ways to accentuate my Rotel investment.

Thanks Guys!

Now, after owning my Rotel for only a few weeks here is my suggestion for Rotel:

After learning of the numerous firmware upgrades to the RSP-1066, I see that Rotel is very pro-active in making improvements in their products. I never imagined that there would be so many firmware upgrades! When my dealer explained the ability of upgrading...I thought to myself.."Big deal...what are the chances that Rotel is ACTUALLY going to use this ability...and if so, they probably only do it once." Not in this case, there have been many upgrades.

So my suggestion would be to INCLUDE the "Communication Cable" in the purchase of firmware upgradeable equipment. This would allow for easier, convienient upgrades for the owner that wished to download from home. That's my $.02!




Thanks for reading!

Enter The Cyberdyne Cinema

Darren

[Scarp]

I'mListening, the upgrade cable should have been included. I bought my 1066 several months ago and got it with it. If you didn't get it recently then contact your dealer.

Personally club Rotel has made no impact on me buying Rotel. I had it before i knew about club rotel.

[Azeke]

I was definitely influenced by Club Rotel on the purchase of my Rotel equipment. I wanted upgrade to separates and after researching ran across "The Club", where members provided honest and succinct information. One day I will jump to high end separates and speakers (yeah, after my divorce :lol, but for now I am completely satisfied with Rotel's products, support and quality of service.

My Rotel Equipment is as follows:

1) RSP-1098
2) RMB-1095
3) RCD-1070

This is an impeccable forum and I am honored to be a member.

Regards,

Azeke

[Tha Freak]

It has not influenced me since I had a Rotel stereo set up for 8 years before I bought my RSX-1055...

but it quite helped me to understand and answer all my questions I had with this new product!!!

Thanks all and keep it going!!




- - - - - - - - - -

"Are you gonna bark all day little doggy?...or are you gonna bite?
-Mr. Blond in Reservoir Dogs

[SomaJoe]

I didn't know about Club Rotel when I purchased my equipment. I researched and compared based on reviews and recommendations, narrowed my choices down, and then found local dealers to audition.

I basically discovered the 1066 'double bass' issue on my own, and did some research and found Club Rotel, where I discovered that I had to take my brand new processor back to have the resistors clipped. I was really reluctant to have this modification done, as the unit was new, but I got enough assurance here that it wouldn't affect my warranty, so I went ahead and had it done. I've sent some of the posts here to my dealer, since he hadn't heard of the modication before.

So, while the Club didn't affect my initial purchase, it certainly helped me decide to keep the 1066 instead of returning it. I like the direct Q&A's that Andrew posts from his communications with Rotel; it shows me that the company is really interested in the feedback and concerns of its customers and that will probably make me a repeat customer.

-joe




Joe's HT

[lhl12]

The Club did not influence my purchase decision; I found it after the fact.

It has been helpful with technical issues, however, and I expect it could influence my next purchase.

[Gravy]

Great forum, gents!

Anyway, I'm in the market for an amp / prepro combo and if the forum facilitated a "power-buy" or other form of price trimming (Hey, I'm a winnipegger) then it would influence my decision.


I do find the # of positive posts to be influential too.

-Scott

[stjoenewt]

I can unequivocally say that Club Rotel has influenced my buying decision. Before joining and participating in a few discussions, I considered Rotel to be too far out of reach, budget wise, to make sense for me. After the participation, I was convinced enough to do A/B auditions with Rotel equipment against similarly priced competition.

After listening to the auditions, talking with dealers, and seeing the commitment that Rotel has to their customers, I have been swayed to the point that I will be purchasing Rotel products, specifically an RSX-1055. The information volunteered by owners and participants in this forum has brought out considerations I had dismissed or otherwise not considered. The forum has also been a good vehicle for illustrating Rotel’s customer focus by allowing and responding to customer questions and comments.

At this point, I’m not positive whether it will be new or used, but it will definitely be Rotel. I am considering purchasing a new unit due to the Rotel warranty and customer support provided by their dealer network. The relationship between customer and dealer, encouraged by Rotel, bring more value to the product.

Even if I would purchase a used unit, I would be supporting Rotel because many times the used market is there because the current owner wants to move up in the product line. I am sure that once I experience Rotel products firsthand, I too will be planning how to move up to Rotel separates.




Mike

[Leef DaLucky]

I'll be switching over to Rotel in the future BECAUSE of this forum. It's real world advice coming from real people that makes all the difference. Corporate/Technological FAQs, and Q&A pages are cool for company websites, but i don't think anything comes closer to real time informational power than the communal message board.
Look at computers: forums like these are critical for setting up and maintaining high end systems.
Plus, companies tend to relax on websites once they're up and running.
Prime example is rotel itself...

**The most recent software is Version 1.42 issued June 27, 2002.

A bud, and i discovered this forum awhile ago, and subsequently he went shopping and picked up a new rotel system. (rb-1080, rt-961, rc-1070, paradigm 100sv2).
Now i have to go over to his pad and drool at his system till mine's in place. His wife is starting to hate me.
heh heh.
Talk about a wealth of information on such a specific subject. Good regulars, good moderators. Jeez, they should be paying you guys in hardware to keep this stuff up.

cheers,
L.




-----------------------------------
"Some days yer the Dog, others yer the Hydrant."

[skipm]

Without a doubt I would not be the proud owner of a 1098/1075 combo if I hadn't stumbled across this forum. I really wasn't in the market for any new equipment and like others I had always considered Rotel out of my price range. I always thought they had the nicest looking equipment but it wasn't until I came here and read the FAQ and the posts that I knew that Rotel was in my future. The question and answer thread recently posted just reinforces my decision. Rotel's philosophy concerning their customers and equipment is simply amazing. They really do care about giving us the most bang for the buck and are not simply looking at the bottom line. A company like this is very hard to find in this day and age and the regulars and moderators of this forum are an added bonus.

-Skip

[Andrew Pratt]

Scott send me an email as I have a Rotel 1055 that I'm selling and I'm in Winnipeg also.

[Danbry39]

Andrew,

Out of curiosity, has Rotel ever been approached about being a sponsor of HTGuide.com?




Keith

[Mark_C.]

I already owned Rotel gear before I became aware of Club Rotel, however I read the forum regularly to see what's going on with my favorite electronics company.

[efarstad]

Thanks Andrew for starting this thread...I never got around to it like I said I was going to! ops:

I too owned Rotel gear, but just right before Club Rotel started...and now I'm envious of all you 1098 owners! 8)

E





The Norwegian A/V Nut!
E-Cinema

[Andrew Pratt]

Out of curiosity, has Rotel ever been approached about being a sponsor of HTGuide.com?

Yes and we still hope that at some point we'll be able to work something out.

[I'mListening]

I'mListening, the upgrade cable should have been included. I bought my 1066 several months ago and got it with it. If you didn't get it recently then contact your dealer.

Personally club Rotel has made no impact on me buying Rotel. I had it before i knew about club rotel.

I had not heard of anyone else getting these included. I contacted Rotel just this week about it, figuring I would get one for free since I just purchased the RSP-1066. They said it was $12.00 plus S/H. I will check with my dealer tomorrow to see what they can do.




Thanks for reading!

Enter The Cyberdyne Cinema

Darren

[Mark_C.]

Funny about those cords. First, many months ago, Rotel tech support says they're $30. Forget it, I say. I don't need it that much.
Then I try to acquire it through my trusty dealer. He says he can get it for me at no charge. Not really. He checks with Rotel and then tells me I have to contact Rotel myself and buy it for $30. The dealer doesn't even want to get involved in the process.
Now it's $12? Is this what Rotel is now charging?

[ronm307]

Funny about those cords. First, many months ago, Rotel tech support says they're $30. Forget it, I say. I don't need it that much.
Then I try to acquire it through my trusty dealer. He says he can get it for me at no charge. Not really. He checks with Rotel and then tells me I have to contact Rotel myself and buy it for $30. The dealer doesn't even want to get involved in the process.
Now it's $12? Is this what Rotel is now charging?

I suspect that Rotel europe is providing the cable, since to my knowlwdge the base price of units is higher over there.

I have an RSX 1065, been very very satisfied with this unit.




"A bug! Naaa, that's a feature."

[ht_addict]

I got into Rotel before I found this site, when I got my RMB-1066. Did all my research myself. When I bought my RMB-1095 I used this forum to give me that extra push to buy it. Actually I would have been dumb to pass up the 1095 for $1500CDN, but you guys helped me out. When its time to upgrade my pre/pro, I'll be sure to ask alot of questions here.

ht_addict

[Bill Blank]

Yes. I came here to see what owners were saying about Rotel products before picking out my Rotel RSP-1066 and RMB-1075. I continue to visit the forum to help others and to get their help as well.

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

[zeppelin]

I've already owned Rotel products for the last 10 yrs, so when its about time that I bought a new preamp processor, I did some research and found the Rotel Homepage and from there it leads me to Club Rotel.
I bought my Rotel RSP1066 on my own decision without the Club Rotel influence and for Technical support Club Rotel's is the BEST!
Thanks all in supporting.

[Glenn]

Just got back from a couple weeks vacation and have lots of Rotel reading to do! Lots of posts since I last logged on. Anyway, I wanted to add a late night comment to this thread.

I must say that Club Rotel has definitely influenced my HT/stereo purchase decision. For the past several months I have been doing the research trying to figure out and choose some new stereo components. After many years, now is finally the time for some upgrades.

I had heard of the Rotel brand previously, but until now had not thoroughly investigated their product line. Upon doing so, I also very luckily stumbled across Club Rotel. I was able to ask some very specific questions about specific Rotel products, and I got real answers in return!

It felt so great to know people were actually genuinely willing to help someone who was new and who was asking a lot of questions. These were the people that owned and used the products on a daily basis. The collective knowledge of the Club Rotel was astounding.

Through my own research, I became quite sold on the Rotel products. However, the final push that has made my decision to actually (very soon) purchase my selected Rotel components is Club Rotel. The thought that this network of Rotel owners exists, gives a great deal of confidence and assurance to the purchase decision. Also the direct link that (somehow) Andrew Pratt has established with Rotel itself is incredibly awesome!

I hope that eventually, I'll begin to be able to offer some answers to other new member's questions, just as help has been extended to me.

Thank you for everyone's time and effort. What a great club! :T

Glenn

[LEVESQUE]

I discovered Club Rotel when I bought my RSP-1066. I own a RMB-1095 and a RB-1050.

Since then, I sold the RSP-1066 and bought an Anthem AVM20.

But I still hang-out here because it's a nice forum, with always polite and helpful people. Andrew is quite something. I never seen him flame someone in any forum. And I think he's a the key to the Club Rotel success. A real gentleman!

And because I'm upgrading around every 6 months, I want to stay alert to new Rotel products and offering.

Rotel IMHO, have a unique place in the high-end music world. Products that can compete with high-end products, but at sometimes around half the price. Example. You can buy a RMB-1095 and be at 95% the performance and quality in sound of a mega-thousand $$$ amp. For the price, the RSP-1066 is unbeatable.

[Rock Dog]

I've said in these forums before that I am a VERY spontaneous buyer. But I had a couple of days to mull over my decision since my dealer did not have a silver set (I have the 1066/1095 combo.) in stock. And If I were really honest, my mind was probably already made up through the dealer demo. HOWEVER… Spending the next couple of nights, a Saturday & Sunday, at Club Rotel. Reading myself blind. Certainly made my decision rock solid without waiver. The following Monday, armed with my Club Rotel knowledge , I went straight out and bought my gear. So in short, yes Club Rotel was a big influence on my purchase. I wasn’t as apprehensive as I would have been, had I not been here before the purchase.




-Thomas-

The easiest way to find something lost around the house, is to buy a replacement.

Hey You! Make sure you stop by the HTguide Off-Topic section. It's FUN!!!

[Sickman]

Can't say the forum influenced my decision to buy an RSX1055 beyond the comfort of knowing that I would have someplace to go when I get in trouble.

[georose]

This forum was important in making a decision to purchase my 1055. So many enthusiastic posts made it a "no brainer".

[Foxman]

I was invited to club Rotel by Andrew from another board after he saw my posting about having bought a Rotel 1066/1075 (thanks Andrew!) Since then I have purchsed a Denon DVD2900 and Cat Cables from Lex, all because of this Board. Now I know neither have anything to do with Rotel, and neither did anyone hold a gun to my head to buy. My point is this without the VERY knowledgable people on forums such as this; people like me would be making much poorer (SP?) A/V purchases and be truely unhappy. I will stay in the Rotel family as I am truely impressed with the quality of this forum in keeping my questions answered as well as the quality of the equipment. On a side note, I have not had to ask my dealer one question about my gear since I left the store with that silly grin on my face and my new Rotel. To that I want to say THANK YOU to all of you who have posted questions and those who have answered them, without you guys my dealer would have invited me to take my business elswere! Keep up the good work Rotel ans I promise I will be adding more equipment suggested by this forum that was actually made by Rotel.




You just can't fix stupid

[Henk]

I did a lot of research before making the commitment to buy the Rotel 1075 amp and 1066 processor. I came accross the Club Rotel site and read everything there was to read about these and other Rotel products. What impressed me was (1) Rotel equipment are used by a lot of audiophiles that really know their audio equipment; if they are impressed wth Rotel, I'll be too (2) the direct communication between Club Rotel and Rotel itself. The way queries were handled made me feel that if I ever have a problem there is somewhere reliable to go to get an informed response. It is not often that manufacturers openly reply to customer queries through forums like Club Rotel. Rotel obviously has high respect for the Club and by being a club member one really feels as if the club will carry your concerns directly to Rotel if necessary. High end audio equipment ain't cheap and having this type of backup is very reassuring.

My 1066 has now made way for a 1098. I still have the 1075, and bought a 1090 to power my fronts (Rotel really took my hand firmly when I queried the absence of a 12 volt trigger on the 1090 - I say no more!). On order is the new 1060 DVD player and either a 1070 amp in addition to my 1075 or a 1095 (to replace the 1075).

Me, a Rotel fan?

[med]

I had come close to making up my mind about buying a 1055, but stumbling across Club Rotel sealed the deal. I've now been a very happy 1055 owner now for the past 2 weeks. Can't wait to buy a 1075 now...