A couple of simple RSP-1098 Setup Questions

[whmacs]

Hi All,
In preperation for my RSP-1098 arriving next week, I was reading the manual and have a couple of basic setup questions:

1. I currently use a 12v trigger on my Onkyo to turn on power to my two Rotel power amps. This happens when I power on the Onkyo from Standby mode. Looking at the RSP-1098 manual you assign the 12v triggers at an input level. Is there a way I can use Trigger 1 on the RSP-1098 to turn on the two power amps (I have the triggers on the power amps daisy chained) when I turn the RSP-1098 from standby to On?

2. As I have THX speakers they all need to be configured on the RSP-1098 to 'small' with an 80Hz cut off. With the advanced speaker setup menu, how do you stop this overriding the standard subwoofer setup menu?

Sorry if these are basic questions, but I could not see an obvious answer in the manual.

thanks,
Stephen




My Home Theatre

[DrBoom]

Hi Stephen,

nothing beats getting to an early start by reading the manual of a component you don't have yet

Regarding your trigger issue, you can solve this in 2 ways:
- If you want to use ONLY trigger 1 as to save the other triggers for something else, your Rotel amps should have "trigger in" and "trigger out" connections.
So it would look like this: Trigger 1 from your RSP1098 goes to the first amps "trigger in", then you connect that amps "trigger out" to the second amps "trigger in".
This will make trigger 1 on your RSP1098 activate BOTH amps at the same time.

-The other method is using 2 of the RSP1098's trigger outputs to activate both amps individually.
So you'd connect the first amp to trigger 1, and the second to trigger 2. (for example)
Then assign trigger 1 + 2 to the input you want on the 1098.
This method has one benefit, lets say you have a 2-ch amp (e.g. RB1080) and a 5-ch amp (e.g. RMB1075).
Then you could say, for CD you can activate only the 2-ch amp and listen in stereo, and for DVD and TV watching you activate both amps for surround listening.
If you want both amps to turn on with any input, at any time, just assign ALL triggers to ALL inputs (which is the default setting) and the amps will power up as soon as your RSP1098 is switched on.

As for your crossover setting, just set your speakers to Small in the Speakers menu, and select an 80 Hz crossover in the Subwoofer menu.
This is your Master crossover setting and will also be the default setting in the Advanced menu.
If you're not confident that it's set correctly, just verify it in the advanced menu, making sure that all modes are set to Master (use the master settings), and the crossovers for all speakers are set to 80 Hz.
But unless you change them manually, they will follow the master crossover setting in the subwoofer menu.

Hope this made things clearer

Kevin

[whmacs]

Hi Kevin,
Thanks for the detailed reply.
Reading the manual helps build up the excitment for the delivery
I currently have my amps (RMB-1075, RB-1070) connected to the Onkyo as you describe in your first scenerio above. I guess my question is around, is 12v applied to trigger 1 when you first turn on the RSP-1098 (as currently happens with my Onkyo) or do you first have to select an input (with trigger 1 assigned to it) on the RSP-1098 before trigger 1 would be activated? Also if you have trigger 1 assigned to input 1 and input 2 does it temporarily turn off trigger 1 then back on again when you switch between input 1 and input 2?

thanks,
Stephen




My Home Theatre

[DrBoom]

When you turn on the 1098, there will always be an input selected.
The last input you used before you switched it off, is the input that will be selected when you turn it on again.
The 1098 is factory programmed to activate ALL triggers, with any input.
So if you hook it up for the first time, no matter which triggers you use, it will turn on both your amps.
And no, it doesn't turn off the triggers while switching inputs (thank god), but the 1098 does go into Mute for about 0.5 seconds whenever you switch inputs to suppress any clicks or loud pops.

[Aussie Geoff]

Stephen,

Re the 12V - I understand your confusion - I thought the same thing before I got my RSP-1098. The net is that the RSP-1098 does assoiciate all 3 triggers with inputs, and the 4th for Zone 2. So if you want the amps on for all inputs, just set each unput to use Zone 1 as a trigger. Then, if you get (say) a tuner, Cd or DVD that uses a trigger, you can set that to go on as well just for the relevant input (ie the CD pinput may use Trigger 1 to turn the amps on and (say) trigger 3 to turn the CD on). When you power the RSP-1098 on it automatically comes on in the mode of its last input ready to listen to that input, so with the amps triggered by every input, they will always be turned on!

Hope this helps.

Geoff Costello

[whmacs]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for taking the time to explain this to me. It all makes perfect sense now!

cheers,
Stephen




My Home Theatre

[aud19]

nothing beats getting to an early start by reading the manual of a component you don't have yet

You mean everyone doesn't do this?!?

Jason




Need a new display? Questions about new display technologies? Visit RPTVs, plasmas, and other monitors @ HTguide

[Aussie Geoff]

Stephen,

A quick tip as you should be getting your RSP-1098 any day now, see this post Here you should get your dealer to set-up the Sub level of the RSP-1098 using a DVD test disk in your house to match the volume of the test tones etc for the other channels. Many of us have found up to a 10 dB too low sub level when set with the RSP-1098 test tones.

Equally if you do this and find the sub level when set with internal test tones a perfect match for that with a DVD test disk - let us know - it could mean Rotel has introduced a running chnage to fix this (though I was fooled the first time I did this!)

Geoff Costello

[whmacs]

Hi Geoff,
Thanks for the tip. I've been following that thread with interest. After I read your post this morning I got out my SPL meter and measured my current setup (Onkyo 787 & Rotel 1075, 1070). Using the internal Onkyo test tones 75db on Left channel speaker produced 83db on the Sub. I then rerun the tests with the Ultimate DVD Platium edition (a HT calibration disk) and 75db on the Left channel produced 75db also on the sub. The other interesting thing was to get 75db (left speaker) on the Onkyo internal test tones I had to set the volume to 52. To get 75db using the calibration disk I only had to set the volume to 37. Strange!. So it seems that you can't trust the internal test tones of some products!

I'll be calling my dealer today to get an update on the delivery of my RSP-1098. I'll also make sure he is aware of the test tone difference.

thanks,
Stephen




My Home Theatre

[Aussie Geoff]

Stephen,

Interesting. The 75 dB to 83 dB difference is excactly what I get with the internal test tones of the 1098 vs the Platinum Test Disk - IE to get a true 75 dB on the sub, the levels by the sub test tone are 8 dB higher.

Re the volume difference this could be becuase (from memory) the test tones on the Onkio an Rotel are the standard -30 dB from reference and are therefore set at 75 dB (reference is 105 db). While the Platinum disk (along with several others) has its signals set at -20 dB - therefore which means that the output level at the same volume level as test tones is 85 dB.

Given that you can't turn the test tones off on the 1098 - what I (now) do is set the speaker levels to 75 db using the test tones to get a reference, switch the a tet DVD to check the level on the front speaker at the same volume (e.g. 83 dB) and then calibrate the Sub to that level (83 dB or whatever). Then when I wind the volume back to 75 Db on the DVD test tones - things all match at 75 db.

Geoff Costello

[leefarber]

I have a quick, semi-related question...

I am new to the world of Rotel, and fairly new to high-end audio. In the near future, I plan on picking up a 1098 and 1075 combo, to replace my sad little Yamaha 5440 receiver. I've already got a terrific 5.1 speaker set up consisting of Axiom M22's, QS8's, a VP150 and an HSU VTF-2 sub. I can only imagine the difference the Rotel gear will make on my setup.

Here's my question: I've noticed several posts where people mention they have both a 1075 AND a 1070 amp (or some other multi-channel and 2-channel combo), and I was wondering what the advantages are to this. I plan on using the 1075 for both stereo and multi-channel music, as well as HT. Is it far better to get a dedicated two-channel amp for stereo listening? Is this combo only for people who prefer to use a separate pair of speakers for their stereo listening, apart from a 5.1 setup? Will I be missing out by using the 1075 and my M22's for stereo listening?

Sorry for all the rudimentary questions!

Lee

[whmacs]

Hi Lee,
I have both the RMB1075 and RB1070 as I have a 7.1 setup. The RMB1075 powers my fronts, centre and side speakers while the RB1070 powers my two back speakers. Another way you could set this up if two channel listening is important to you is to use the RB1070 to power your two front speakers and the RMB1075 to power the rest. This way if you have a 7.1 system you can also have a good two channel system as well. From what I have heard, the RB1070 is a slightly better amp for two channel work than the RMB1075.

cheers,
Stephen




My Home Theatre

[whmacs]

Hi Geoff,
Thanks for the information. Your description of the different volume settings makes alot of sense. Well the good news is that I spoke to my dealer yesterday and my RSP-1098 has arrived at his shop! He is also trying to resolve a dead pixel issue I have with my projector, so he should be over in the next day or so to install the processor and swap out my projector.

cheers,
Stephen




My Home Theatre

[Aussie Geoff]

Stephen,

Assuming your dealer delivered the RSP-1098 on time - How have you gone with the new addition?

Geoff Costello

[whmacs]

Hi Geoff,
This Thursday is the big day. Due to a dead pixel in my Infocus 5700 projector, my dealer was waiting for a replacement unit to arrive and then is coming out to install both the RSP-1098 and the replacement Infocus 5700 together.

cheers,
Stephen




My Home Theatre