Can't decide Rotel or Anthem

[SnowdonAudio]

I was at a dealer today, and he said if you like Rock and Roll music better, then go Rotel, if you are more a classic music person go Anthem, those are the types of sounds they produce in watching movies.

I was very disappointed that he wouldn't let me audition the stuff in my house.

Michael

[Adz]

Is he saying that Rotel's pre-amp/analogue performance is better than Anthem, but that Anthem is better on the digital side of things translating into better surround sound performance?

Having owned the former and auditioned the latter, I'd pretty much agree with that.

[Kevin D]

I would start deciding on a new dealer! Any one that makes blanket statements like that wouldn't be on the top of my list. And honestly I'm a little confused at his statements anyway. Rotel makes movies sound like rock and roll, while the Anthem makes movies sound like classical music???

Kevin D.

[SnowdonAudio]

Kevin,

I am working on the first part, and you got his statement correct. What was funny is I am more the classical guy then the rock and roll guy, when it comes to watching movies.

Michael

[DrJRapp]

It's interesting the dealer said nothing about cost/value only about music preferences. Honestly I listen to a lot of classical music and very little rock, and while I confess to never having heard Anthem at length, I can't see anything that Rotel is lacking for classical playback. I understand that as far as the digital domain goes that the D1 (or soon to be D2) is a measurably better processor than the 1098, however, I don't think your ears could tell the difference unless they were in direct a/b comparison. The D1 is $3000 more than the 1098. If you spent that extra $3000 on better speakers, you would actually gain something audible.

[Adz]

I really think the dealer should have been trying to say what I stated, it just didn;t come off that way. Analogue/music = Rotel. Digital/Surround Sound = Anthem. If not, he should have. I heard the Anthem and it is pretty impressive with home theater. And you generally can seek out a pretty healthy discount on the D1 while Rotel don't expect more than 10-20% if anything.

[SnowdonAudio]

I really think the dealer should have been trying to say what I stated, it just didn;t come off that way. Analogue/music = Rotel. Digital/Surround Sound = Anthem. If not, he should have. I heard the Anthem and it is pretty impressive with home theater. And you generally can seek out a pretty healthy discount on the D1 while Rotel don't expect more than 10-20% if anything.

I haven't heard much discounting on the D1 or 30 processor, will go listen to the Anthem again today!

Michael

[SnowdonAudio]

I am going to go with the Anthem gear, thanks for all the comments.

Michael

[Adz]

I am going to go with the Anthem gear, thanks for all the comments.

Michael

Not much of a surprise.

[SnowdonAudio]

Not much of a surprise.

Why is that?

Thanks

Michael

[5.0greg]

After owning both units the Anthem is clearly a better unit.

[Adz]

Why is that?

Thanks

Michael

After owning both units the Anthem is clearly a better unit.

That's why.

[RebelMan]

SnowdonAudio, I have to make some assumptions as it is not really clear which piece of Rotel equipment you are comparing to Anthem. If it was a pre/pro you were after, Rotel's well equiped RSP-1068, which retails at $1699, schooled the Anthem AVM20 at $3199 on the issue of high performance without the high price. Moral of the story... why spend twice the money when you don't have too? :wink:

Comparison and Conclusion

The last preamp-processor I reviewed, and which I still had on hand while reviewing the RSP-1068, was the Primare SP31.7 ($3995; see January 2004). The SP31.7 is a beautifully built piece of equipment that provided the best sound quality I've experienced in my home theater. When I reviewed the RSP-1068's predecessor, the RSP-1066, I described it as an excellent performer offering outstanding value for the price, but I thought it sounded just a bit "electronic" compared to a much higher-priced pre-pro, the Anthem AVM 20 ($3199). Because I consider the Primare SP31.7 to sound even better than the AVM 20, I expected the RSP-1068 to once again sound "good for the money," but not really competitive with the more-than-twice-the-price Primare.

When fully broken-in, the RSP-1068 came astonishingly close to the SP31.7 in sound quality. The overall clarity, dynamics, and surround effects fully matched the more expensive processor, and the Rotel's feature set and ergonomics are actually superior. The Primare still maintains a lead in the natural transparency of its highs, but the difference is very small indeed. Rotel has come up with another great product at an affordable price.

[shadow]

Anthem is overpriced for what you get but lots of people want to spend the money because a dealer or web group says its better. OK with me. Anthem is good gear but I get the impression from some of their adherents that they look down their nose at Rotel, Sherwood etc even though their performance does not warrant that attitude. Just my $.02

[DrJRapp]

Time for my "buck three eighty". Last year when I was shopping for a new pre-pro to replace my RSP 1066 I did a head to head comparison between the RSP 1098 and the AVM30 which are similarly priced units, and also had a chance to listen to the D2 up against the 1098.

First of all, in my opinion as an engineer and a builder, the design of the Rotel is superior, however, the actual build of the Anthem may be a hair better.

Sonically, I liked the surround steering better on the 1098 than on the AVM 30, and the D1 was comparable to the 1098 in that regard.

Analog audio quality of both the AVM30 and D1 was very pure, so pure that I would qualify them as being a bit "dry". The Rotel had more personality.

The AVM 30 purchase price was 10% higher than my price on the 1098, and the D1 was twice the price. I purchased the 1098 and never looked back. When it comes time to consider an upgrade from the 1098, I will probably take a look at the soon to be released D2 along with others in it's price range.

[raider]

I have both Rotel and Anthem in my system
They both bring somthing inherently good the the table!!!!
(RSP1098,P5)

[IntegrateMe]

The Anthem AVM30 and the Rotel RSP-1098 are two very different $3,000 pieces, and usually someone who wants one would not want the other.

The Anthem is a feature powerhouse. 7-Channel Balanced Outputs, Zone 2 + Zone 3 functionality, Component Zone 2 functionality, multiple triggers for automation, a built in tuner, more total inputs, more consistent software upgrades, more robust RS-232 protocol, ability to listen to one source and view another at the same time, more adjustment abilities, and a 2 Channel Balanced Input.

The Rotel has a screen in the front and is a simpler, purer design. In all honesty, any sound benefit that one has over the other would be negated by room acoustics in the vast majority of situations, but the fact remains that the Anthem does much more.

Bottom line, the Rotel RSP-1068 is the best at what it does at its price, as is the Anthem AVM30 at its price. When comparing the 1098 to the AVM30, you will most likely find some preferring one and others preferring the other.