1090 + 1095 questions

[Joseki]

Hello all,

Everytime I get ready to send checks and credit card numbers, some niggling issue comes up and gives me pause!

So far, I have purchased a fully upgraded Anthem AVM-20 and have settled on an amp solution from Rotel. At this point it looks like the 1090 for the L+R channels with the 1095 for all of the others. Excellent. Good reviews and lots o' word of mouth on these two. So, can anyone weigh in on this combo as paired with the B&W Cdm 7 speakers (or similar)?

Also, I just discovered that the 1090 doesn't have a 12v trigger. So, how the *&# do you turn the darned thing on? (The answer cannot be 'Walk up and press the power button". That will not pass the WAF.) Does it sense an incoming signal? Do you just leave it on all of the time? If you do leave it on, how much extra money should I budget for my electric bill?

Thanks for the help!

David

[Scarp]

Hi David,

Yes, no 12volt trigger because they want to keep all paths as clean as possible. Its a shame though. The only real solution is turning it on yourself or get some remote controlled switch.

Leaving it on is not a solution. It uses 100 to 150 watts in idle mode.

You have a 7.1 system? You could opt for the 1080 (which ahs a 12v trigger) instead of the 1090. It has enough power, although the 1090 sounds better and cleaner.

If you got a 5.1 system, get the 1095 first and see if you really need the 1090. I've heard the 1095 on a B&W N804 system and it sounds good still.

[Matt Sprouls]

David,

I have an AVM-20 and 1095 myself and love it. I have looked at the 1090 to upgrade my mains also but not sure yet.

As to trigger's I have my 1095 setup to use triggers but I never do. I never turn my anthem off. I feel it's better to leave electronics on 24/7. I am sure this will rub some wrong but :roll:

Matt

[Andrew Pratt]

Rotel as well as other companies make a power bar like device that can turn amps on an off depending on the state of another device so something like that would work well to power the 1090 on and off.

[Scarp]

That power bar from rotel can I only handle 1000 watt, so be carefull. Also its also a filter. Usually putting poweramps on a power filter/conditioner is not a good idea. It will usually mean that when the amp needs more power it cannot get that quick enough from the filter.

So, before getting something always do a test to see if you hear a difference and if it has gone worse or not.

If you can find anything that just only switches on 12volt that would be best.

[SpOoNmAn]

That power bar from rotel can I only handle 1000 watt, so be carefull. Also its also a filter. Usually putting poweramps on a power filter/conditioner is not a good idea. It will usually mean that when the amp needs more power it cannot get that quick enough from the filter.

So, before getting something always do a test to see if you hear a difference and if it has gone worse or not.

If you can find anything that just only switches on 12volt that would be best.

I have heard a lot about NOT plugging your power amps into a line Conditioner. So when my 1075 arrives, I shouldn't plug it into my Panamax conditioner?

I have 2 dedicated circuits running into my livingroom. The Pioneer TV, pre/pro, dvd, cd, and clr2500 def tech powered center all plugged into the panamax thats running off the 20 amp line. And I thought I was doing the right thing by leaving the other Panamax thats connected to the 15amp line, empty, ready and waiting for the 1075.

If I don't use the conditioner, and plug it directly into the socket, I'll be worried about any surges/spikes, unless the amp itself has some sort of protection against this.

The amp will be arriving Wednesday, so any help is greatly appreciated. I was thinking about getting a 2 outlet "Brick Wall" protector to use for the amps, looks like I might have to do that afterall. Heres the item I'm speaking of... http://www.pricewheeler.com/prod2r.htm It's for high power amplifiers.

How do some of you have your amps plugged in?

By the way, my conditioners are the cheaper Max 4300's. 3 Unswitched outlets, and 4 switchable. I have always had the components that draw more power plugged into the unswitched ones.

Thanks in advance for any advice!




Life is short, Play it LOUD!

[Joseki]

I did it. After nearly 5 weeks of intense research, I have purchased the AVM-20 v2.1, a 1090 for the mains, and the 1095 for the center and surrounds.

Thank you all for the advice and all of the collected knowledge on this forum. I am especially thankful for the advice regarding Audiogon. All of this equipment is used and in great shape - and I saved over $2000 over retail. Someone else mentioned escrow.com and that turned out to be some very good advice as well.

At this point, I am exhausted. I feel confident that I have read every printed word about all of Rotel's amps and processors as well as the anthem. Add to that the last 25 pages of the Club Rotel forum and you have some serious reading. 8O

Again, thank you all so much.

David

[LEVESQUE]

Congrats Joseki!

We have a very similar system. For the 12v trigger, don't bother with it. Just leave your amps always on (if you feel confortable with this).

The Anthem is an awesome pre/pro, and prepare yourself for hours of tweaking. This pre/pro is a tweak heaven!

BTW, if you encounter any problems, just send an E-Mail to Sonic Frontier, and a tech will answer your question in 4 or 5 hours, sometimes less!

Did you considered the Rotel RSP-1098? if yes, why did you decide to go with the Anthem?

[Rock Dog]

This 1090 no 12V trigger revelation (to me ) SUCKS! In today's world of remotes and automation. Who the hell wants to get up and turn a device on manually. That is NOT why I spent so much money on a Pronto Pro.

Now, what comes to my mind right away. When I go 6-7.1 (soon) I'll be buying a 1090, I'll also have a dedicated 20 amp socket put in for thte 1090/1095 combo I'll be running. I have a Lutron light switch with a built in IR receiver for the room lights. I use the Pronto to turn them on and off, as well as dimming them. Mostly on and off though. Maybe I'll install a similar switch to control the oscket for the amps. That way I'm back into full automation mode.

Now, if the current light switch won't handle the amps. Another thought would be to get a heavy duty, top notch relay. Hopefully triggered by 12V (what else? ) I can use the 12v trigger to turn on the relay, which then will close the circuit for the amps.

I'll have to check with Omron, and some other relay manufacturers. Hell... I'll bet Allen Bradley has something in their line of products.



Thoughts :?: :?: :?:




-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!!!

[will1066]

Well, I like to manually switch on my components. It's the feel, the touch, the satisfaction. :P Anyway, my room's small, so it's not hard for me to get up and go over to the equipment rack.

Spoonman, I wouldn't worry about plugging the 1075 into your Panamax --as long as the Panamax isn't current restricting. But try out both into the Panamax and directly to the wall and see if there's any difference. That said, the 1075 has internal protection circuitry to deal with surges and such. Anyway, I have my 1075 plugged into a Tripplite Isobar as insurance.

Joseki, which CDM 7s are you talking about? The 7SE or 7NT, etc?

[Joseki]

I chose the Anthem over the 1098 because of price foremost. If the price had been equal, then the decision would have been much more difficult.

Besides price, I was totally enthralled with the ability to set up crossovers for each source. The notch filter is kinda cool too.

It'll take me a month or so to get all of this installed and tweaked but it wil be worth it!

David

[SpOoNmAn]

Spoonman, I wouldn't worry about plugging the 1075 into your Panamax --as long as the Panamax isn't current restricting. But try out both into the Panamax and directly to the wall and see if there's any difference. That said, the 1075 has internal protection circuitry to deal with surges and such. Anyway, I have my 1075 plugged into a Tripplite Isobar as insurance.

Thanks for replying will. I got the amp this morning and everything seems to be working fine with the Panamax and amp combo. If it IS restricting current, then this AMP is a beast, cuz it sounds incredibe as is!

A member saw my earlier mention of a high current Brick Wall device and emailed me. I am buying the exact item I spoke of from him, so the issue of current restriction will no longer be a problem.

I do have a question though..

The power cord for the 1075 is a 2 blade, not a 3. I used to think that NOT having the 3rd would leave whatever I plugged directly into the wall, somewhat ungrounded. Am I totally offbase? And Yes, the circuits are grounded.

If it is safe to go ahead and plug the 1075 directly into the wall with it's 2 blade plug, I will remove the Panamax and give it to the friend who wants it, and wait for the arrival of the Brick Wall.

I apologize for my naivety about such topics. I by No means have an electricians background. I did however install the 15 and 20 amp dedicated circuits that I am now using.

Thanks for reading




Life is short, Play it LOUD!

[Scarp]

Go with the cables you got with the unit. I think the 1075 doesn't need grounding. My only Rotel unit that is grounded is the RB1090, but that has balanced inputs, so it should be grounded.

[SpOoNmAn]

Thanks Scarp. I'll go ahead and plug it directly into wall until the BrickWall unti arrives.




Life is short, Play it LOUD!

[Joseki]

I have the CDM 7SE's from about 4 years ago. The center is a matching CDM-CNT and the surrounds are DM-601's. (Can you tell when I ran out of money??) At this point, I'm seriously considering a pair of 1NT's for my surrounts and moving the 601's to the 7.1 rear surround position.

David

[will1066]

I have the CDM 7SE's from about 4 years ago. The center is a matching CDM-CNT and the surrounds are DM-601's. (Can you tell when I ran out of money??) At this point, I'm seriously considering a pair of 1NT's for my surrounts and moving the 601's to the 7.1 rear surround position.

David

Hey David, I have a similar setup: NTs in the front, 600s in the back. I ran out of money and space. :LOL: