Here's a link to some new product info!

[Joe M]

http://www.highfidelityreview.com/news/news.asp?newsnumber=15092684

Hopefully, there will be more info availalble at CES.

[Mark_C.]

Looks like RSP-1068 = RSP-1066 with a pricetag $400 higher. There doesn't seem any reason for this model other than to boost gross sales.

[Scarp]

$400 higher? Seems to me its only about $201 higher. The 1066 is $1499 and the new 1068 will be $1700.

Lets wait and see what the additional benefits are for this money. At least the BM fix should be available on it. I suspect a lot of things from the 1098 will have trickled down to these new ones.

Besides that, they will have Dolby Prologic IIx, so they can't wait long to also make this available for the 1098.

[Mark_C.]

The 1066 has been heavily discounted for the past year, roughly in the 1200-1300 US range. I don't think we'll see such heavy discounting with the new 1068. Maybe there will be some gee-whiz feature on the 1068, but my hunch is that rushed product cycles mean less improvements for the price.

[aud19]

Cool Thanks for the link Joe :T Glad to finally see some info on the new products and the 1050 DVD player was a bit of a surprise 8O

I think what the new machines offer is Dolby IIx, the more advanced processing trickled down from the 1098, and the (hopefully) lack of the bass management problem. As always it's up to the individual to decide if it's worth their extra $ for those things.

Jason




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[Andrew Pratt]

Very interesting news.

[mazuly]

Start of Rant:

So how many DVD players Rotel is going to have:

RDV-1040
RDV-1050
RDV-1060

What is the difference between RDV-1060 and 1050? I find it confusing to see 2 very similar DVD players from Rotel, unless they are discontinuing RDV-1060.

And still no replacements for RDV-1080. No high-end DVD player with DVD-A/SACD playing capabilities that can also send digital video on HDMI or DVI.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Rotel gear (own RSP-1098, RMB-1075 and RDV-1080), but if they don't provide a DVD player with SACD capabilities and HDMI/DVI digital output soon, they will lose business (including mine) to other manufactures such as Denon and Pioneer.

End of Rant

The rest of the products (RSX-1056, RSX-1068 and RSP-1068 ) look very interesting.

Thanks,
Maziar

[Mark_C.]

On face value, the new products look more like a "holding action'' than bold moves forward. Cautious Rotel is still not sold on SACD, or DVI for that matter. Maybe next year we'll have something to talk about?

[mazuly]

On face value, the new products look more like a "holding action'' than bold moves forward. Cautious Rotel is still not sold on SACD, or DVI for that matter. Maybe next year we'll have something to talk about?

I hope so.

I understand the SACD issue, but I am not sure why they are not sold on HDMI/DVI since nearly every HDTV set out there comes with a DVI input. Also from my understanding the HDMI specifications have been finalized and accepted by the industry (someone please correct me if I am wrong). I hope that at least the replacement for RDV-1080 comes with HDMI/DVI output.

I am still happy with my RDV-1080, but it is beginning to look dated with all the new and improved gears out there.

Thanks,
Maziar

[spiffnme]

Start of Rant:

So how many DVD players Rotel is going to have:

RDV-1040
RDV-1050
RDV-1060

Amen to that. They keep pumping out DVD players that no one wants. Three new players in less than 6 months, and not one of them plays back SACD? Not one of them has any form of digital video output?

I'm sure at some point Rotel will finally release a really kick butt player, but in the mean time, why are they wasting so many resources producing three different (how different are they?) dvd players?

Regarding the 1068, I'll have to wait to hear more. That brief mention in the article didn't mention anything that the 1066 doesn't already do. Previously I wouldn't have thought that possible, but with three nearly identical dvd players being released...why not?

Sorry to sound bitter. I've taken great pride and pleasure in my Rotel gear. Seeing the deluge of wasted products being produced recently has me scratching my head. It has forced me to turn my attention towards other makers products, and I really didn't want to do that.

Not to sound completely negative...hurray for Rotel for it's first 7 channel receiver!




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[spiffnme]

Any news?

Anything change much since January?

My brother will finally be arriving here in LA next week, so my shopping spree is soon to begin. (He's put me in charge of hooking him up with a complete HT system.)

As much as I'd love to push him in the Rotel gear, Rotel still seems to be lacking a real high end DVD player - and I'd like to keep his receiver and DVD player in the same brand.

Is there a progressive scan, DVI/HDMI output, universal player in the works yet? Or is my brother going to end up with a Denon setup?

Here are my two thoughts...I'd love to hear the pros and cons of each from you wise folk.

Rotel RSX-1056
Rotel RDV-1040

or

Denon AVR-2803S
Denon DVD-2900S

[aarsoe]

This tread is faily old - but I will give it a comment anyway.

I am guessing that the reason Rotel is not supporting SACD right now is the lack of drives. If you look at the companies that supply all formats, they either have in house production of drives - or sell very limited numbers.

To this doesnt really matter as I would still prefer to have an SACD player without the video parts as it can degrade the overall product.
The best solution in my oppinion would be for Rotel to include a minimum of 2 times 5.1(or 7.1) inputs.
However the need for a digital link like firewire is also on my requirements list.

In regards to what to purchase.. I would take the cheapest one with the best picture and then do processing in your reciever or pre/pro. Who cares about back channels being 24/96 when the processor can do it anyway..

[aud19]

I personally haven't heard anything changing but I'd personally go with the 1068/1075 and a 2200 for now. The 2200 is supposedly musicaly superior to the 2900 and at the rate DVD players and processors are changing within a few years he could upgrade the 1068 and 2200 to units with SACD, digital connections and likely HD-DVD/BluRay while retaining the 1075. In the meantime the 1068 and 2200 will allow superior sonics at moderate prices with a clear upgrade path.

Jason

[shadow]

I like your recommendation way more than a Denon setup (I have owned Denon AVRs before and liked them)and the 2200 is a good DVD player. However, I disagree that the 2200 is musically better than the 2900. I tried both and bought the 2900 for its superior music quality. Its build is also substantially better than the 2200. I assume that the preference for the 2200 is based on the recent pan of the 2900 in the Perfect Vision. IMHO this review is cr*p. I occasionally see one of these reviews and then have the opportunity to hear the gear myself. Needless to say, the review is generally diametrically opposed to my impressions. I think in this case I would buy the 2200 and see if Rotel or Arcam comes out with a reasonably priced universal player in the near future.

[stantheman2]

Re the Denon DVD-2200 vs 2900, both Perfect Vision and Absolute Sound recently rated the 2200 as superior in terms of audio quality. Oddly, both reviewers speculated in their reviews that they had a "defective" 2900, presumably because the additional cost and better build quality of the 2900 should have naturally led to better sounnd.

[spiffnme]

I personally haven't heard anything changing but I'd personally go with the 1068/1075 and a 2200 for now. The 2200 is supposedly musicaly superior to the 2900 and at the rate DVD players and processors are changing within a few years he could upgrade the 1068 and 2200 to units with SACD, digital connections and likely HD-DVD/BluRay while retaining the 1075. In the meantime the 1068 and 2200 will allow superior sonics at moderate prices with a clear upgrade path.

Jason

Unfortunately the 1068/1075 combo is out of his price range. If goes with Rotel, it'll have to be the RSX-1056. He'll likely not miss DVD-A or SACD (I personally enjoy SACD, but I don't think in my brother's case it'll be much of an issue.) So based solely on PQ and 2 channel audio which is a better unit, the RDV-1040 or the Denon 2200/2900? Has anyone here heard the both?

This will be his final system for probably the next decade. He's not prone to upgraditus like myself. (This will be his first ever DVD player!)

[aud19]

If PQ and CD playback are priorities and DVD-A and SACD arent'... go for the Rotel. The DVD-A will just be a bonus in that case. But don't take my word for it. Let him listen to both and see which he prefers.

Jason

[aud19]

What speakers is he going to be running? You may also want to get him to at least consider getting or later upgrading to an RB-1070 for his mains for better 2-channel performance.

Jason

[spiffnme]

What speakers is he going to be running? You may also want to get him to at least consider getting or later upgrading to an RB-1070 for his mains for better 2-channel performance.Jason

Like I said, he's not an "upgrader". So I've got to get this right, straight out of the gate.

I'm leaning towards pushing him into the RSX-1056 and RDV-1040. But I can't help but wonder if the Denon 2803 and 2900 wouldn't be a better bet. He'd get DVD-A and SACD for less money. (I can get those two Denon pieces for about $200 less than I can get the two Rotel units)

*sigh* Can't make up my mind.

btw...he'll in all likelyhood be using Axiom speakers like myself. He loves mine, and we've gone out and demo'd a ton of speakers. Like me, he agrees that nothing out there sounds nearly as good until you start getting into stupid amounts of money. We both like the B&W 700 series and Theil's, but they cost THREE times what a pair of Axiom M60ti's do. And to be honest they don't sound that much better.

[aud19]

Well if you and him agree that SACD is important then get the Denon 2200. If he dosesn't care and you want better CD performance get the Rotel. I'd personally get the 1056 either way and if he can afford it the RB-1070 as well.

Jason

[eelco74]

Whaterve you do, do NOT get the 2803. I have a friend who has one and is does not sound very good. In HT mode it is fine (although not very good in steering), but stereo is not that good. The sound is very flat, the bass is muddy and the soundstage is flat.

I own a dvd-2900, and that I like very mutch. In my opinion the 2200 is a very fine player as well. But the 2900 sounds definately better, although the margin is small.

Keeping that in mind, the choice for the 2900 is not good, if you intend to buy the 2803. With this amp you might just as well buy the 2200. It will never reveal the extra that the 2900 has over the 2200.

However with the 1056 the story is different. This one wille get more out of both players. As well as the RDV-1040.

I think a 1056 will be the best bet. You can add the 2200 or 2900, just listen to them and descide it the extra $$$ is value for you. Lateron you can add a RB-1070 (perhaps the money you saved from the 2200 ??)