An old RB-981 for B&W 805s?

[Erkki]

Hi all. I'm looking for a _cheap_ poweramp to run my B&W Nautilus 805s, the pre-amp will be a Meier-Audio Corda Prehead pre-amp/headphone amp combo. One of the amps I could find at a reasonable price is a 2nd hand RB-981.

Now, how'd you rate the amp today assuming it is 100% OK?

What'd you think of the above mentioned combination?

Many thanks!

[eelco74]

Hi,

I have been using my RB-981 for several years now.

First it powerd a very large 4-way Transmissione line system, and with ease.
I tried both focal.jmlab Cobalt 816 as well as the Electra 906. The last one is my current main speaker.

The Electra 906 is about the same as the Nautilus 805, a high perfomance compact 2-way system.

I tried the RB-1070, but it sounded exactly the same. The only upgrade is a RB-991 of a RB-1080. however the 981 is a safe buy. Rotel amps will last for ages and have a good second hand value.

The only thing I modified, is replacing the fixed powercord. I added a power outlet and a detachable Supra Lorad 2.5 Mains cable.

[Erkki]

Thanks, eelco74!

[Erkki]

A further question.

As all you guys seem to upgrade from time to time, I just seem to go towards the low end here. Now I could find a still cheaper (having just bought an expensive house :M ) Rotel RB-971.

Is it _any_ good?

[Marcel B]

If possible try them both at home. I had a 991 to try which I didn't like with my speakers while 981 sounds still wonderful to me (although the store where I bought the 981 has a 1090 at this moment and I don't want to try it at home because that will be too dear).

Marcel B

[Erkki]

Thanks, Marcel, but I can't try either at home. A pity.

[Jonesy]

I have a 991 powering my 604 mains and a 971 powering either my patio speakers (8" woofer & 1" tweeter), or a pair of Polk R20's, depending on the season. The 971 is more than enough to push the patio speakers to pleasing levels outside - even down to our firepit which is about 70 feet from the house.

However I did compare the two amps on my old set of mains (Infinity IL30's) and found the 991 to be more authoritative. I suppose a big factor in whether you want 70 or 200 watts is the size of your room. In a medium sized room, or larger, I would go with the 991. I've seen them as low as $450 on Audiogon.

Of course you could always get the 971 and add a 991 to bi-amp, or swap, if you're not happy with the 971. Used Rotel gear always seems to move. Good luck!

[Erkki]

Thanks, Jonesy. The models I could grab now are 981 and 971, not 991. But that one's certainly worth looking up.