Rb-1092

[miner]

Has anyone demoed the RB-1092 yet? Looking for feedback, please.

[Kobus]

I think there are some of as that will pay to hear from someone that had an objective demo. (If that exists)

Kobus

[miner]

Lost right channel on my RB-1070 - sent to Rotel for repair. Bought RB-1092 on Sat. 2/25. Will review after breakin. So far, out of the box I am happy. Not as bright as I was expecting, bass extension very good compared to analogue RB-1070. Size is great - about the size of my RC-1070 pre & weighs 22 lbs.

[bigburner]

Bought RB-1092 on Sat. 2/25.

miner, that will give your 804's a fright after the RB-1070!

Are you going to continue using your RC-1070 preamp?

I look forward to your review.

[mike c]

you jumped from a 1070 to a 1092?

shouldnt there be a spectacular difference in sound right from the get go? i mean 120 analogue vs. 500 digital watts

[miner]

My first impression was WOW, I can't believe how crisp the sound is. On my 1070 when I would turn the volume past 12 o'clock the sound would start to deteriorate, get muddy. I can't/haven't taken the 1092 past the 9 o'clock position on my pre knob. The bass extension is much better, yet the mids & highs are not discolored; very natural. Soudsatge is pinpoint, accurate.

At first I was POed about my right channel on my 1070, but once I thought about upgrade possibilities my BP went down. I turned the volume up on my 1070 amp via my 1070 pre from 7 to 9:30 and saw a flash of light reflect out of the top of my amp then a loud hum was emmiting from the right speaker. I immediately turned off the amp BUT the hum was still happening and did not stop unitl I removed the speaker wire from the amp. I knew then it was more than a fuse problem. Oh, well it is Rotel's problem now.

For the time being, I will continue to use the RC-1070 pre. My lovely wife wants me to upgrade the pre too!

[Aussie Geoff]

My lovely wife wants me to upgrade the pre too!

Truly a marriage made in heaven...

Don't let that wonderful discerning woman go...

Oh and you could wait just a few months for Rotel's new high end Pre-Pro designed to complement the digital amps or get a second hand RC-1090 (a good step up from the RC-1070 IMO)...

Geoff

[miner]

My dealer actualy has a 'new' RC-1090 in stock. Very tempting to say the least. My focus is on 2 ch so I really don't require a processor.

[miner]

I went ahead and ordered the RC-1090 - found a new in the box in their Phoenix store.

Each time I power up the RB-1092 I become more amazed. My best upgrade so far. My N804 are very happy.

I wll certainly keep my wife for another 25 years.

[Aussie Geoff]

Miner,

Congratulations (on the RC-1090 and the decsion re your wife!!)

I personally found the RC-1090 a very worthwhile step up from the RC-1070 with revealing equipment like yours...

I think some quality cables will improve things even further... (sound-wise that is )

You'll really get the best out of the setup if you haven't already got:
> The speakers bi-wired
> Good RCAs from the Pre-amp to the amp
> Good RCAs from the CD player to the pre-amp

Enjoy!

Geoff

[miner]

1) I do have my speakers biwired - 14 ga @ 65 strands of OFC/wire (nothing exotic).
2) Straightwire Encore II IC for pre > amp
3) Straightwire Symphony II IC for CD changer

[Kevin97225]

Congrats on your new setup, I know you will enjoy it. I'm extremely happy with the Rotel RC-1090 and RB-1090, will be with me for a very long time. The combo has a great synergy together, and with my speakers that still have a huge "WOW FACTOR" that I still enjoy every time I sit down and listen to my CD collection. Enjoy! :W

[Andrew M Ward]

Has anyone demoed the RB-1092 yet? Looking for feedback, please.

See attached PDF
The RB-1092 is as promised (Awesome)


Oops, PDF is too big, one moment please...

[grit]

I went ahead and ordered the RC-1090 - found a new in the box in their Phoenix store.

Each time I power up the RB-1092 I become more amazed. My best upgrade so far. My N804 are very happy.

I wll certainly keep my wife for another 25 years.

Miner,

To what did you compare the 1092? I'm REALLY curious about people's impression of this amp, because I was very unhappy with the 1091 and 1077. My dis-satisfaction was with imaging, which I felt was very unnatural. Detail was improved over the 1095. I didn't listen long enough to develop an opinion about the tightness of the bass. And, the amps were NOT broken in.

I'm *NOT* trying to convince anyone I'm right. In fact, I'm trying to find out why I'm wrong. Everyone EXCEPT ME loves these amps. So, I figure the fault is probably mine. At any rate, I'd certainly appreciate any comparrison you can offer, or any descriptions and impressions about how your new amp sounds.

Oh, and congrats! There's nothing better than being happy with a new upgrade. Glad to hear it's making you happy!

[miner]

grit,
Kep in mind my previous power source was a RB-1070 - mid-class in the line-up. I first noticed improvement in the soundstage & imaging over my RB-1070. AND with the RB-1070 I had a very slight hiss from speakers - now it is gone. Remeber the RB-1077 is a multi-channel and 1091 is a monoblock. This may have some reason why you experienced the 'unnaturalness'. I can close my eyes while getting lost in my music and I can almost visualized the position of each instrument, especially in the midrange. When I turn my volume knob to 12 o'clock my 804N come alive - the 2 woofers dance happily and the air being moved is quite impressive. Had I bought this prior to my ASW800 I would not have gotten the sub.

[grit]

Miner,

Thanks for the response. The 1070 wasn't nearly enough power for you 804's, and I'm familiar with how it sounds on those speakers. A very much needed improvement! Funny about the sub and low end, huh? I keep telling people I'd never add a sub to a good 2-ch system.

I never considered the 1091/dual monoblock setup as a potential problem for imaging. But now that you mention it, it is certainly point worth considering.

The impression I had for imaging was that the 1077 seemed to push the sound stage forward. I almost felt that the stage was in my lap (I was about 10-12 feet from the speakers). The monoblocks reinforced that feeling to the point where it seemed the sound stage was behind me, and slightly left. I tried this with both Aerials and B&W 803's, and had the same impression. Again, the quality of the sound was an improvement in detail and clairty over the 1095, I just didn't care for the imaging.

What about your room dimentions and position of the speakers (approximately)?

[miner]

My room dimensions are very poor to say the least. 25' X 35' X 12' ceiling open on one side to the kitchen. My 804N are approx. 18' apart.

[grit]

Wow, ok. There's something I didn't get to test... the speakers were no more than 10' apart. Also, how far away is your listening position? My guess is that the forward presentation of the amp is not a problem when you are sitting farther away. Again, I couldn't get more than about 10-12' away from the speakers (which mimics my present environment sufficiently).

[miner]

My listening position ranges 15' - 20 ' away from speakers.

[snowball]

any new info/reviews on the 1091-1092 ???

do you think it will be overkill for b&w 804's?

[Mark_C.]

I listened to the 804s speakers with the 1092 for about 30 minutes yesterday at my dealer. There was no salesman present as the employees know me and let me play if they don't have a customer demo set up. My wife was with me. She sat in the sweet spot lounge chair with her knitting while I stood behind the chair. Sources were a music server hard drive that didn't sound all that great, and a few demo CD-Rs in a Rotel 1055 changer. First off, the demo room is cavernous and the carpet is hard and flat. There were sound absorption panels on the walls.
The music server produced a thin sound that wasn't too impressive coming through the 804s. Switching the source to the 1055 produced a tremendous improvement. I actually said "wow" after a few minutes listening to some acoustic blues. Vocals were clear and centered, bass impressive considering the speakers were the 804s model. My wife, however, said some of the highs, cymbals and very high piano notes, hurt her ears at a volume I estimate at above 65 dB.
I was impressed with the 1092, 1055 and 804s setup. Too bad I couldn't switch over to the 1090 analog amp sitting on the same rack to compare.
I would say it was on par with my setup at home: Nautilus 804s, Rel Storm III and Musical Fidelity A5 integrated amp (250 watts per channel), although the Rel sub gives my system a bit more lower kick.

[Stevebez]

1092 - Reviewed in HIFI News UK in March issue.

Only praise - in fact called it revolutionary...

Dont think I can post the review here for copyright reasons - but think I just found my belated Christmas present!

Also when they list alternative products to consider - they said there were none.

Rgds Steve.

[Kobus]

How the hell must I get hold of that review here in South Africa ? Would love to read it.

Kobus

[Stevebez]

Moderator - can I post the pdf attachment here ? I purchased it but not sure about copyright etc etc..

Rgds Steve.

[Aussie Geoff]

Hi,

If you purchased it and can host it on your (or another) web-site (you'll have to becasuse the HTGuide limited attachments to download to about 100-150 Kb) then you can link to it with a URL - using the standard syntax (PM me if you want to know more)...

Geoff

[Stevebez]

Authorised copy of review below

http://www.drivehq.com/file/ShowFolder.aspx?G=1&shareID=42712

Maybe this works ?

Apparently HIFI Choice also have a rave review out ...

BTW mine arrives next week!!

Rgds Steve.

[Lewing]

Thanks Stevebez!
I am so tempted to try the RB-1092 soon...

[EAmin]

1092 - Reviewed in HIFI News UK in March issue.

Only praise - in fact called it revolutionary...

Dont think I can post the review here for copyright reasons - but think I just found my belated Christmas present!

Also when they list alternative products to consider - they said there were none.

Rgds Steve.

Thanks for the posting. So does this mean the 1091 is supposed to even sound better?

It is good that he tested on a very revealing speaker (Watt Puppy 7). Looking forward to more reviews --- especially those comparing the 1091 to the NuForce Ref9.

[Stevebez]

I cannot understand this 1091 / 1092 split ... the 1092 is just 2 1091's on one chassis ... specs are identical for the two. So unless you want a dedicated centre amp I dont quite see the point of the 1091 ...

Also what is the price diff between the 1091 & 1092 for the extra channel ?

Rgds Steve.

[booktrunk]

1092 for L&R
1091 for Centre
need a 1074 for the rear 4

They need a 1074 and a 1093 to finish off the range

Oh and a 1097 :B

[Wolfenstein 2k2]

Just consider 2x or 3x the RB-1092 + 1x the RB-1091. These amps would provide a basis for a nice and space-saving 5.1 or 7.1 system, respectively. Or 2x the 1077 (7 channels in bi-amping / bi-wiring mode)... Well, I simply will have to wait until these new Rotel amps finally hit the German market shortly in order to listen to them. They seem to be the amps I have been waiting for a long, long time (much power, great sound, small size, no heavyweight, not too expensive, they remain quite cool due to class D).

PS: Does anybody know whether the new amps have a 12V trigger as well? Heard rumors about Neutrik speakon sockets as well...

[Aussie Geoff]

Does anybody know whether the new amps have a 12V trigger as well? Heard rumors about Neutrik speakon sockets as well...

If you check out the PDF review in the link above kindly posted by Stevenz you will see the back panel photo showing the 12V trigger in and out and what looks like the standard Rotel 10 series WBT copy speaker terminals in dual configuration to support bi-wiring

Geoff

[Stevebez]

The write-up said something about Nutrik speaker connectors though - although they dont seem visiable -

edit !!!! if u look carefully they are there! eitehr side of the binding posts.

Rgds Steve.

[Wolfenstein 2k2]

OK, thx Geoff for the hint and big thx to Stevebez for providing the PDF file. I´m really looking forward to further magazine reviews as this one (www.hifinews.co.uk) already sounds quite impressive :T. I strongly assume that the WAF regarding the new Rotel amps will be quite high.

[Stevebez]

Seems I may have my 1092 tomorrow ... so hopefully Monday I can give some preliminary thoughts.

I have the RB1080 , so side by side will be a must ... although perhaps a little unfair..

Just would like to see how the "D class" 1092 compares to the A/B 1080, particularly on the high freq.

Rgds Steve.

[miner]

I have replaced my RC-1070 with a RC-1090 (new-out-of-the-box) and the pairing of it with the RB-1092 just floors me - so smooth yet controlled. I never used the contour control on the RC-1070 so I really do not miss that feature. My 2ch listening now seems to be more relaxed and less in-your-face. I can really distinguish the difference on soft musical passages (no vocals) in that it now seems to be with less background 'clutter', not noise, but more like a 'filter' was used to remove anything not associated with the instrument being played. The strings on a guitar pluck instead of twang - I really noticed this with SRV's 'Riviera Paradise'. I can contribute this directly with the pre since I used the RC-1070 some with the RB-1092 prior to the RC-1090. So far, so good. Now, one more RB-1092 & a 1091 and I can venture into HT with the proper processor of course.

[MoonSpin]

Yeps, the RC-1090 is very nice. I've been using it with my RB-1090 for some time and love the combo. I just demo the RB-1092 at home over the weekend. Nice amp, but I still prefer my RB-1090 over it so looks like I'm not going to move over to the RB-1092 after all. I can handle the extra weight of the RB-1090 since I much prefer it over the RB-1092 but the RB-1092 does give a big weight saving if needing that. Rotel makes great products in my book!

Shame Rotel stopped shipping the RC-1090 to the USA, not enough buying to keep it shipping but it's still available to the Europians. Shame because it really is a darn good pre-amp! Some find it very expensive for a Rotel 2-Ch Pre though, but it's well worth it once you hear it!!!!