Rotel and Monitor Audio speakers

[resperc]

Speakers are the next upgrade on my list. I have already heard some things that I liked, but I used to work in a store that sold Monitor Audio speakers and I loved them. I am planning on auditioning them soon as it has been a while since I was in retail. Anyone here have any experience with a Monitor Audio/Rotel set-up? I have a 1068/1075 combo and a Denon DVD2910 as a source. I would definitely be leaning towards floor-standing speakers for my mains. Any comments would be aprreciated. Thanks.

[skipm]

Rotel and Monitor Audio are a match made in heaven in my opinion. I've owned a set of the original Silver series (7i in front, 10i for the center, Fxi for the surrounds, and a FB210 sub) for around 5 years now and I still marvel at the clarity and imaging they produce mated to my 1098. Must be a British thing is all I can figure. I've always had a bad case of upgraditis when it came to AV gear but I've never given a thought to replacing my speakers. The same can be said now for my 1098. When you audition them make sure they are well broken in. They need at least 100 hours on them due to the metal drivers.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

-Skip

[rpryan]

I also have some older monitor audio speakers for my surround. silver series front 5i and 3i backs with matching center(small 5i). I love them and the size is great for a smaller den. When I added a rcd1072 to my system the speakers never sounded better. I don't feel like I have to upgrade anything.
bob

[resperc]

Skip and Bob,
Thanks for your comments. I am definitely going to check them out soon. What amps are you using to drive your set-ups? Thanks.

[skipm]

Skip and Bob,
What amps are you using to drive your set-ups? Thanks.

1075

[Legairre]

If you can wait a few weeks the new silver RS series willbe out to replace the current silver series. That's assuming you're are looking for the silver series. The new silver series look like the gold series. Here's a link and a pic.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=510248&highlight=rs8

[resperc]

I had heard that there might be something new coming out. This peeks my interest even more. Thanks.

[pbarata]

I’ve paired my Rotel combo (Rotel RSP-1066/RMB-1075/RCD-1070) with Monitor Audio Silver 8i front, Silver 5i rears, Silver 10i centre and REL Quake subwoofer. Monitor Audio are, in my opinion, very good monitors and if you are looking for transparency and detail this is a good match. My first choice would be Gold series but unfortunately I could not afford a 5.1 configuration.

[skipm]

The new silver series look like the gold series.

That's an understatement! I had to do a doubletake. I may have to retact my previous post about being perfectly happy with my 5 year old original Silver setup. I've always lusted for a MA Gold Reference setup but couldn't justify the cost.

Why did you have to show me this???

-Skip

[Legairre]

Skip
I know what you mean. Apparently the the tweeter is based on the gold series design too. I was all set to get either the silver s8 or s10 and then I saw these. Some articles say they will be out in March while others say June. I can't seem to get a straight answer form anyone, but I interested in a demo.

[gianni]

I used a pair of Monitor Audio Gold Series GR-10's with my Rotel RSX-1055 for just under a month and they were a fantastic combination. The GR-10's are sweet -- very nice imaging and sound stage. I used these and a couple of others to compare to a speaker I bought and wanted to be sure I made the right choice. I hated to return the GR-10's but I just did not have room for them. Highly recommended. Be prepared to spend alot of time listening at first as they are addicting.

[tonych31]

I got MOnitor AUdio Silver 5i with silver centre for around 4 years. However I find it a bit bright with my Yamaha amp so I upgraded to Rotel 1068 and 1075. It brought a change but not as huge as I expected it to be. I still find it a bit bright. Then I bought REL Strata 3 subwoofer which makes HT and music comes to life. Lately, I bought Cyrus CD6 which I think made a big surprise that even my wife was surprised by the improvement in sound. So I guess with a proper amp and cd player, monitor audio silver range will sing beautifully.

[Cracking Oboe]

Geez, look what subjects I miss when I don't get to the computer for a week.

Hi Resperc,

I have MA's GR 20's, GR centre, and GR 10's for surrounds. I don't want to dwell on the speaker characteristics too much because it would get off topic. Let me just say that we shopped and listened to speakers for years (over a decade) before we found THE speakers we wanted that weren't over 10 grand a pop. The treble was extended but not too silibant, strident or shrill, and the midrange clarity was unmatched. Imaging was shocking, and most important to me... voices were distinctly different (vocal and instrumental voices). Unfortunately, when we got them home the MA's resolution and clarity revealed the weaknesses in our source components. Changes to upstream electronics were not subtle at all, and even cabling changed the sound (I was a member of the "It's snake oil" camp before these speakers came into my life). Rotel equipment provided the quality source electronics we needed without breaking the bank (too badly). The MA 20's seem to like a good quantity of power behind them, especially given the size of the room they are in, and I purchased the RMB 1095 to be on the safe side (80 watts of NAD power just didn't cut it). The 10's may be a bit of overkill for surround use, but after mixing and matching with other speakers, only the 10's were able to blend with the speed and clarity of the 20's. I'm thrilled with the combo.


Cracking!

[resperc]

Cracking Oboe,

Thanks for your thoughts. I have never heard the gold series. I will be primarily looking at the new silver series. I presume they are going to be awesome. I was really impressed by the older MA stuff I heard a few years back. I hope I won't be disappointed.

[resperc]

FYI...There is info now posted on the new Silver RS series on the Monitor Audio UK website. I can't wait to hear these speakers this summer.