New version vs Old RB1080

[Al K]

To all curious RB1080 owners and potential owners,

I called Rotel tech support personally to clarify the difference between the old and new version of the RB1080. The only difference is that the later version had two additional speaker binding posts added for bi-wiring convienience. As per Rotel, no internal changes of any kind were made. The specs and performance and everything else about this amp remain identical .

Al

[Azeke]

Al,

This is very interesting information indeed. I've heard that the internal grounding schema was modified to eliminate the hum issue, however this is unsubstantiated. Perhaps others will provide further information.

Regards,

Azeke

[Al K]

Azeke,

I also recieved a response from Rotel in my e-mail today. Same question, different Rotel tech answered with the same response. Only change was the addition of speaker binding posts.

Al

[Azeke]

I see.

Any other thoughts or comments?

Azeke

[Aussie Geoff]

Hi,

I can't resist. I should really - but...

I have had the old and the new RB-1080 side by side in my house, and even replaced blown fuses on them both. Visibly the difference included on the new model:

• Dual WBT Speaker Binding posts vs single non WBT posts
• Gold placed balanced inputs rather than black.
• Different paint finish on the case
• Some minor visible internal wiring changes (who knows what this means)!

During 2003 Rotel moved to a new assembly factory and changed suppliers of a number of components such as heat sinks. This change even caused availability delays last year for a couple of months - Rotel rejected the first batch of heat sinks.

However the specifications (other than the speaker binding posts) are identical.

The grounding scheme has been changed to make is less susceptible to certain types of mains and earth noise.

The grounding scheme change was clearly audible in my home - soft hum / hiss on the old one (requiring a cheater plug to fix) - dead silence on the new one.

The new one also sounded better in my home (which could well have been the mains noise susceptibility on the old one - who knows).

Lastly the new RB-1080 ran cooler than the old one on idle and drew less power on idle (36w vs nearly 100w) which is normally a bias current setting for a class AB design like the RB1080 (though again this may just have been the two specific amps in my house).

Trust me, there are differences between the two that are easy to see and (of you have the mains noise issue) hear. All you need to do is go and look very carefully at a new model RB-1080 (knowing the old one well) or visa versa and you will be left in no doubt....

All that aside is interesting, but my advice is for the 99.9% of people with an older model RB-1080 one and no mains noise - don’t fret you are missing out on nothing worth any worry. However if you are buying new and are offered the (slightly) older model then ask for a discount AND/OR get a commitment from the dealer to replace with the new one IF you are unlucky enough to get a mains noise issue (remember this is hiss / hum though speakers with NO inputs on the RB-1080’s RCA sockets – which can also be fixed with a cheater plug if you’re comfortable with this approach.)

According to my (very good) Aussie Rotel contacts Rotel Japan routinely change and upgrade their 10 series components as they find ways of improving them or tweaking them or change to a better quality supplier of a part. For example there were several running changes to the RSP-1066, the most visible of which was the B series. Equally RSP-1098 owners are experiencing this with the RF shield to fix the noise on the centre channel some people were having. This is now a standard fit on the new RSP-1098s as they are shipped. There is no bulletin etc on the web about this.
There are very rarely any announcements or public technical bulletins that my Australian sources are aware of these type of Rotel changes. People here don't know why - speculation is to stop people wanting / worrying about the new version / changes when they are (as far as Rotel Japan is concerned) just normal running model improvements.

Remember this is the same Rotel US Tech Support with "no one else has reported a problem with noise on the RSP-1098 centre channel" and "we don't know of any fix to that" and "shield what shield". Not to mention the “We never have any hum issues with the RB-1095”. Nice people but......

It doesn't really matter (though it's kind of annoying) it's just the way Rotel seems to be.... They make routine improvements / tweaks in their Japan design centre (which is great), but forget to tell people OR the technical support people decide not to mention it. Who knows....

We should all enjoy our RB-1080s new and old model.

Geoff Costello

[Azeke]

Thanks Geoff, I can see clearly now.

Regards,

Azeke

[Al K]

Geoff,

Thanks for eliminating much of my frustration. I'm convinced with the satisfaction of knowing more of the total picture. I suspected there were more pieces to the puzzle. I'm with you, old or new if it works properly, fine. Now the next question: Is there any audible hum with your ear up to the speaker regardless of whether the RCA inputs are connected or not on the latest RB1080.
I'm sure many manufacturers of all types make minor improvements along the way to current models without mention. I believe this to be a good thing. My problem is that I told my dealer to obtain the latest model of the RB1080. Obviusly he didn't. This is not the same dealer that I've purchased Rotel products from previously. I recently moved. As for Rotel, I am convinced that they are a terrific company that makes an excellent product. When it comes to audio equip., Rotel is my BABY! I believe I'm hooked even if there not perfect.

Very much appreciated,

AL