It's time to update my surround proc.

[geointl]

I am looking into upgrading my surround proc. I am currently running a Sony DA4ES as my proc. The Sony does surprisingly well, but I’m sure a dedicated unit would be much better. The rest of my system is a Rotel RMB1095 Amp driving B&W 805N mains and HTM2 center. My surrounds are in ceiling B&W CCM80 speakers and my Sub is a Velodyne HGS-15X.

I am going to look into the Rotel RSP1068 and 1098. Could anyone recommend any other Surround Proc that I might want to have a listen to..

Also, I know the Rotel rsp1098 has a nice screen on the unit, but is it that much better then the 1068. I will have it in a cabinet anyway, seems like a waste.

Thanks

[boe]

I have a couple of friends who are in the same boat. The only thing I found interesting in the same price range as the 1068 was the Sherwood/Newcastle 965 and the Onkyo.

I'm looking for something in the same range to replace my Sony(9000es) as well but I'll wait a while longer for the features I listed in my other thread to become available. I'd love to replace now but there are so many features not available yet, for me it would be worth the wait. I always no matter what I buy there will be more features availabe on the next unit but for me it would be like jumping from a Pentium 4 3.0 to a Pentium 4 3.6(if you speak geek). While it would be an improvement it wouldn't be enough to justify the purchase at this time. I'd be better off waiting for a significant design change than just upgrading my P4.

[geointl]

Yes I do speak Geek Thanks for your feedback. I am in the same boat. I Like the Sony as a Pre, Hate it as a receiver, The Pre on the Sony must really outshine the Amp.

I would love to upgrade the proc to a stand alone unit.

I like the Rotel Amp, it sounds sweet with my B&W based system.

[PewterTA]

To be honest, I've never heard a Sony receiver that sounded super good as a Pre. They (to me) always seem to be on the lower end of the scale when you compare to Pioneer, Yamaha, Denon, Marantz, and the like...

So I would think the 1068 or 1098 (if sticking with Rotel) would be a huge step up in over all quality of sound. I'd be the imagine and soundstages of the Rotel (or Sherwood/Newcastle and the like) would blow you out of the water as to how they sound.

Course I will admit I've never been a super big fan of Sony, I like their stuff, I just think you pay a lot extra for their name... My one friend is a huge Sony fan, everything in his system (from TV to HT) is sony...and it's nice, but just doesn't even come close to what B&W and Rotel (as a combo) can do.

Especially with your 805s, the 1068 and 1098 will make your jaw drop with the differences (especially with 2ch audio)! :T

[geointl]

I am not a big Sony (Audio) Fan. I do like the 60 inch XBR LCD I have. I like to go with Sony because a good friend of mine works for Sony and I can go to the company store and get a great discount. Talk about a kid in a candy shop :W I got my 60 inch XBR for $1,800 US with 3 year coverage. Can't go wrong with that deal....

Has anyone done a side to side listen to the two Rotel's?

[ajpoe]

From past discussions I've gotten the impression that the 1068 is about 95% of the performace of the 1098, but also has a few less features. I didn't feel the screen or the extra features justified the price difference FOR ME so I went with the 1068 and couldn't be happier. I'd do a little research and see if you come to those same conclusions... performace/price is what I was looking for and 95% for a lot less sold me.

[DrJRapp]

Has anyone done a side to side listen to the two Rotel's?

Yes, I have and as far as my ears are concerned, listening in a dealers showroom with Deftech speakers...there was NO difference. I bought the 1098 anyway because I wanted all the pins and whistles. If I had to do it over again, I probably would only get the 1068 since I never use the screen on the 1098 for anything except observing volume and modes.

[markusp]

If you aren't set on Rotel alone, you might want to look at the Anthem AVM 20 - they are bargain priced right now used on Audiogon thanks to the introduction of the AVM 30 which basically is the same as the AVM 20 with the exception of an additional component video output and new blue screen.

Let us know what you end up with.

[Radec]

I also did a side by side of the 1068 & 1098 with B&W 704's.
The salesperson said some can hear a slight difference, but I could not. Although the extra bells and whistles (plus the "cool" screen factor) would be nice, I went with the 1068.

[geointl]

Thank You for all of your responses. I will give both Rotel's a listen. I do not need all the extra stuff on the 1098, so if they are close I will go with the 1068. I can then use the $1,300 for other stuff

I will give the anthem unit a try.

Any other recommended manufactures out there?

[mpauline]

When I purchased my 1098 I auditioned quite a few other processors at various price points. I listened to the 1068, then the Krell 7.1, the Lexicon MC 8, and the Anthem AVM 20. I thought that the Lexicon was the best perfomer but only slightly over the 1098.

When comparing the 1098 and the 1068 I definitely noticed a difference between the 1068 and 1098. I thought that the sound was more dynamic with a bigger soundfield present on the 1098. When I first went shopping I really was hoping that the 1068 would be the "same" as the 1098, that way I would save some money. The 1098 with it's lcd screen is also beneficial in my theater application. Two of the walls in my theater are made up of motorized heavy velour drapes. So when I have the projector running it is handy to cue up my movie and make adjustments to the gear which is outside the actual room. But I did not buy the 1098 for that purpose. I bought it because it is slightly superior to the 1068 IMHO.

There is definitely a difference in audio perfomance between the 1098 and the 1068. The difference is not huge. For me the difference was similar between the 1098 and the Lexicon. I could not justify the difference in cost for the performance difference between the two but I could for the difference between the 1068 and the 1098.

Anyway let your ears be the judge on gear set up to your liking. If you are so lucky find a dealer that will let you take the processor's home then you can A/B the gear with your current equipment and calibrations.