Questions by a Rotel newbie...

[Drew_W]

Hello hello...I've been reading this forum, and thought I'd finally join and post...

My bedroom system currently consists of an H/K AVR225 and Energy Take 5.2 speakers. I listen to alot of (loud..or so I'm constantly told) organ music, and its dynamicity occasionally causes my H/K to clip. Well...I can no longer stand this, AND I need a new toy to play with...I've only heard the RA-02 stereo amp, but I liked the sound of it, so I'm looking at possibly an RMB-1066 amp, which will be nice for my current configuration (5 channel), then can be reconfigured to power rears and centre, and I can add a more powerful 2ch amp to power the fronts if I choose to further upgrade. Suggestions or comments?

Also, is there something I should know about buying Rotel in Canada? I don't see alot of used Rotel gear up here, but I saw that someone was selling an RMB-1066 a few months ago. How good is Rotel with second hand goods with regards to the warranty? Has anyone up here bought Rotel gear from the States (new or used?)...I'm sure that I'll have to pay brokerage and taxes coming across the border, but will duty apply? Is there lots of negotiating room with dealers?

Unfortunately, budget won't allow for the RSP-1066 (at least right now), and the 225 doesn't have preouts, so suggestions on what to use in the iterim?

I know that these are alot of questions, but I thank you for any opinions/comments you may have...

[gd]

With no pre-outs, your H/K won't do you much good if you're going to upgrade piece by piece... I'd suggest saving up for an RSX-1055 receiver to replace the 225... you'll immediately benefit from more power in the amp section, and its pre/pro section is virtually the same as the RSP-1066... real bang for the buck... bigger power amps can be added later.

Cost-wise, the good news is that it seems (no official word) Rotel will roll out new receivers very soon... that likely means many 1055 owners will sell their units to upgrade to new models... check http://cgi.audiogon.com/

[Drew_W]

Can I expect some sort of boxing day deals on Rotel equipment, or are dealers fairly firm in their pricing on this stuff ?

[spiffnme]

From what I've heard you can expect anywhere from 10-15% off the msrp, depending on your dealer.

Rotel does an amazing job of keeping their product out of the hands of bargain basement sellers. (Crazy Eddies, et al) This means you won't find much of a bargain when buying Rotel, but it also means your Rotel equipment retains it's value much, much better. Rotel resale value is excellent.

Good luck!




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[aud19]

Try out the pawn shop right here on HTGuide http://www.htguide.com/CFBoards/inde...&forum=9&CFB=1 or a good option for us Canadians is http://www.canuckaudio.com/

You're not likely to find bargain basement pricing on Rotel gear anywhere so used stuff might be a good option for you. With newer models apparently coming there might be a surge of 1066's and 1055's available in the next few months. Dealers may (but don't count on anything) reduce the prices of any stock they have left to clear it out if new models do infact come out. At the most you might get them to the 15-20% discount rate and even that I'd be a little shocked 8O. I also agree with gd that a 1055 might be a better solution for you, right now anyway, than a 1066. You'll have to do some thinking on that though. Do some reading on here and don't be afraid to ask questions, we're more than happy to help Welcome to the club

Jason




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[Drew_W]

Anyone have any personal experience with importing used Rotel into Canada from the US? What kind of fees should I expect to have to pay? Do warranties still apply?

My two options seem to be:

Get an RSX-1055...use that as an all-in-one solution for now, then add beefier power amps to it as I go, eventually it would act only as a processor, and at that point, I'd probably replace it with a higher end dedicated pre/pro anyways...

Or...Get the RMB-1066...it affords me the flexibility to do 5x70 now, and later to do 3x150 for centre/surround channels when I add a bigger stereo power amp...the problem with this is that I'd still need a processor of some sort, probably a receiver with preouts...this seemed to me like a better option because if I acquired a dedicated processor (even before additional amps), then I could use the receiver elsewhere (or sell it), and that this option would be a few hundred dollars cheaper than the previous one. Plus, finding an RSX-1055 is rather difficult used, especially in black.

Comments?