new member and question on volume RSX-1056 and RB-1080

[DUCKY]

Hi there fellow enthousiasts....

My name is Lennart, 33 years old and live in Amsterdam (The Netherlands). My user name DUCKY refers to my black Ducati Monster 1000 which together with way too many knives and music are my favourite hobbies.

I started out my hifi 'career' with a small Rotel amplier, then switched to an Arcam Alfa 8 set and now after 10 years bought a set consisting of:
- RSX-1056
- RDV-1060
- RB-1080

A small question on power and volume.
I first hooked up the RSX-1056 to the RDV-1060 and tried it out. I found I needed to turn the volume to about 50 to have what I would call normal music volume on the fronts (just by ear, no DB measurement or something like that). Would you consider this to be standard?

I then added the RB-1080 to the pre-out of the RSX-1056 to drive my front speakers. I found that again I needed to turn the volume up to about 50 to have normal music volume. Is it normal I need the same (volume) setting now that the more powerful 1080 is driving my fronts?

To me it feels like I need to crank open the volume knob more than I would expect. Is this a setting I need to change (default volume or something)?

Thanks for any help!

Lennart

[bleeding ears]

Hi, Ducky and welcome.

A very good question, I have found a similar situation in that i have to turn the volume up to around 60 on my rotel 1068 processor before things really start sounding full. sounds a bit quiet and thin until about 60 and then gets very loud at about 65 -75.

I too thought that a RB1080 (which I have been considering buying) would rectify this, but it appears that may not be the case.

Power or wattage should not be a problem with a RB1080 so I really dont know why this would happen. ( I am using a Sony TAN9000Es amp 5 x 115 watt and Energy C9's with 94db efficiency)

What type of speakers are you using?

Perhaps others can help out on this one?

[alienone]

Hi
I own a 1056 and I also have to the turn the volume knob between 50 -60 to get the right feeling .I don't think there is any settings you can change expect the default volume when you turn it on it was set to 45 on mine and I change it to 50.When you add on the 1080 it will not increase the volume it will clear up the sound and you feel that the sound is more controlled. Enjoy your equipment.

[Marlboroman]

It is just a number so do not get caught up in it. Normal volume number on current Rotel receivers and processors seems to be anywhere from 50 to 70, depending on the rest of the system. The RB-1080 would not make the speakers any louder at that volume number since the gain stage of the 1080 is probably very close, if not exactly the same, as the gain stage of the internal amplifier in the receiver.

[Kens1]

I also have the 1056 & 1080. As mentioned, you will not perceive a louder volume from the speakers with the 1080 just better sound. After the addition of my 1080 I noticed more impact and dynamics than just the 1056 at the same volume level. I usually listen to music at volume levels from 45 to 60. If you read some independent reviews of the 1080 (Ithink one can be found on the Rotel website) you will find that the 1080 needs to be turned up past half, say 50, before it starts to come fully alive.

[Marcel B]

Don't forget that a conventional (rotating) volume knob doesn't work linear.
When the scale is from zero to ten the difference between three and four is much greater than between eight and nine.

Marcel B

[DUCKY]

Thanks guys for the responses so far.
I agree that adding the RB 1080 has a noticeable effect on the sound. Cleaner and more ´punch´. I just played around with the tuner and even radio sounds great!

I guess I was thrown by the fact that my no doubt old fashoned view was that you should´nt have to open up a volume knob on an amp past say one third. I have surely noticed what Marcel stated that past 50 the volume seems to increase exponentially. Between 50 and 60 looks like a good working area.

Next week a BENQ beamer and screen should be the start of some movie evenings........oh no, I forgot..... I should become a father within the next couple of days so no rest for the next 17 or 18 years.......bummer :cry:

Cheers guys,

Lennart

[soundhound]

It may not be a bad idea to run avia or similar set up disc, take your'e spl meter, go into the menu and set it up if you have not. @ 60 on my 1068, through an RB-1070, or 1080, and 1090 it is LOUD. Unless you're room is huge, you're speaks are completely inneficient, 60 on the indicator should be loud when properly dialed in .Marcel, I would doubt that the volume pots (actually digital in the 1068 I believe, not a pot) are not linear.

[bigburner]

I guess I was thrown by the fact that my no doubt old fashoned view was that you should´nt have to open up a volume knob on an amp past say one third.

I share this old fashioned view. I have an RB-1080 driving a pair of B&W CDM9NT speakers. If I turn the knob on my RC-1070 preamp up to half way the noise is deafening. The only time I turn it up this high is when I've got a room full of (dancing) people to soak up the sound. Normally it doesn't go past one third.

Does anyone know why Rotel calibrates its processors so differently to its preamps?

[Kevin D]

I believe the RC line is still using analog volume. The RS line uses digital volume talking to the chip.

I'm just glad my sub amp goes to 11...

Kevin D.

[Boombox]

With my RB1070/RC1070/RDV1040 the sound for movies is deafning @50. For movies my volume goes up to 40 max. What I have found on the RDV1040 that increases my volume levels is the audio settting in the set-up menu. Under audio, the "D.Range control" and "Output level" settings will increase/decrease my volume levels significantly (mine are on the "normal" and "standard" setting respectively). DUCKY has a RDV1060 and I'm not sure if these settings are available on this player. Has anyone done that already..??

[Marcel B]

@soundhound: I'm comparing to a conventionel pot, which is definitely not lineair.
The (digital?) setting in my 1098 is lineair

Marcel B

[fordster]

On a slight side note, does it bother anyone else that the volume increments in 2's meaning it goes to 51 not 50, 61 not 60, etc? Or am I just a sad, pedantic nitpicker?

[DUCKY]

On a slight side note, does it bother anyone else that the volume increments in 2's meaning it goes to 51 not 50, 61 not 60, etc? Or am I just a sad, pedantic nitpicker?

I do beleive my RSX-1056 can be set to 50 or 60, or am I wrong?

The RB-1080 would not make the speakers any louder at that volume number since the gain stage of the 1080 is probably very close, if not exactly the same, as the gain stage of the internal amplifier in the receiver.

I don't doubt this is true, I just don't quite understand it. Can somebody explain this Dutchie what this means? What exactly is a gain stage?

Thanks for any help!

Lennart

[soundhound]

Ducky, you are corrct. In the menu you can set the volume speed wich will give you 1 step increments. I believe slow, medium, and fast are the options with "slow" giving the single step increments. Without getting wordy the 1080 has a higher gain than the 1056 internal amps do, thus netting the higher output rating. Amps are fixed gain devices, 1 volt in = 10 volts out. 100mv in = 1 volt out.

[fordster]

Thanks soundhound, I'm gonna change my setup tonight as I'd like it to increment in single steps. I must admit I've not been through the menus since the initial setup so never even thought of this.