1077 is one awesome amp

[photoman]

My Rotel setup is pretty new. I first started out with a 1095 amp it was great but, it was a bit large for the living room....(wife said that) So, to make her happy (hey she wanted small) I went and looked into a 1077. Figured some of you old hands are having a good experience with it.

Like most, I looked at it's size looked at my wife and smiled. But inside I was a bit worried, but eager to see tomorrows technology perform today. Fired up the 1072 and flipped on Natalie Merchant Tiger Lily in two channel.

Wow, for 2Ch the amp is excellent in every way. Great imaging, sound stage and all the corny odd ball terms that are used in audio gibberish to describe a great experience. Using my terms: it just sounds wonderful with plenty of power. (Didn't use a sub) Tiger lily sounded like a new CD to me - wonderful.

For movies... Well I put on War of the worlds and almost crapped my pants when the lighting struck. For movies, in a word awesome. Used everything including butter on the corn.

Well... I'll tell you the future is here today right in my house. What a wonderful amp. Clean powerful and as my wife says, cute. The amp rocks big time and cost has my scratching my head as I've listened to amps that cost twice as much that just don't stack up to the 1077 (not complaining). Rotel knocked the cover off the ball on this one.

If your in the market for an amp you own it to yourself to listen to this little gem. I Love it. What about the 1095, sold it to my brother :B (he loves it; he should practically stole it from me ). For me, I really prefer the sound of the 1077 over the 1095 in both 2ch and 5.1

My setup
1077
1072
1068
803D
805S
HTM3
ASW825
DVDO iScan VP30
Pioneer 79avi
Pioneer 1130HD

[Audiophiliac]

Nice review. I know that Rotel is pretty confident in what this little guy can do. Our rep told us to run it 2 channel on our Wilson Watt/Puppies....havent yet, but he said we would be surprised.

I think technology is heading in a direction that will make smaller, lighter, more efficient amplifiers that can and do sound equal or better than their large/heavy/hot counterparts. Fine by me. But it would be odd to shell out large sums of green and carry a 30 pound box to your car...rather than buy the Krell FPB700CX and have to rent a forklift to move it. You actually feel the heft of your money well spent....hehe.

[gd]

technology is heading in a direction that will make smaller, lighter, more efficient amplifiers

I was kinda hoping for "less expensive" to go along with all that.

Can't justify the cost of a 1077 for now, but I am looking forward to hearing one in the near future.

Killer system, photoman... killer.

[scanido]

Are you bi-amping your 803D's with the amp? Is it necessary to bi-amp because i might need the last 2 channels for a 7.1 system so would you say the 100w is plenty?

I'm thinking about the very same setup but with my 804S. If it's awesome for 803D's it must be as well for my smaller 804S!

[Kobus]

100 W is plenty. Some would say to little for the D's. Most definitely enough for 804's.

That said I would not let a lessor quality 100 watts get close to my 803's.

Kobus

[photoman]

No bi-amping. I could as I don't have side channels. Just a decent bi-wire cable into amp's R / L. Plenty of power. Had it as high as 75 with no signs of stress at all. Amp was barely warm and the 803D where humming. Bi-amping might be fun to try, but before I do that I just want to listen for a while... a long while. I'm very happy with the sound I'm getting the way it's setup. Who knows I might want to use those two channels for another pair of speakers anyway. It will power your 804s with ease and sound great

[photoman]

I was kinda hoping for "less expensive" to go along with all that.

Can't justify the cost of a 1077 for now, but I am looking forward to hearing one in the near future.

Killer system, photoman... killer.

Thanks.

[MoonSpin]

I remember how all the digital talk used to be for the future of amps, it was said that digital would allow for smaller and cheaper to make, that we would see much better prices for the future compared to analog amps but this doesn't seem to be happening, well except for all the cult high raves the Panasonic SA-XR digital amps have been getting on all the audio forums that I've been reading about, many folks say it's a $300.00 HT-all-digital amp that performs like a $10,000.00 amp, but I wouldn't know because I've not tried it or even heard one but seems to be all the rave the last two years, guess I'm hearing about it last of all! I had no idea it was such a hot item.

Maybe as digital technology gets going, the prices might get more affordable?? I really love Rotel products so I think Rotel products will always be in my future, as long as they sound great like they do, and keep the really nice design/looks the Rotels have, and the value you get wirth Rotels. I was hoping the new Rotel amps would still be in the price range I paid for my Rotel RB-1090 or less for the 2-channels.

[llubon]

Photoman, My question is about your set-up... can you give me your thoughts on the 803D and the HTM3 sound... how well do they play togather. In my mind (with cost not being a factor) wouldn't you go with HTM2D.

[photoman]

Photoman, My question is about your set-up... can you give me your thoughts on the 803D and the HTM3 sound... how well do they play togather. In my mind (with cost not being a factor) wouldn't you go with HTM2D.

You know in hindsight I should have gone with a HTM2D. My reason during purchase was that I really didn't see a "big need" on the whole movie thing. While it does sound good, no question I can hear the difference between the D's and the HTM3. There is a bit of a mismatch but it's not bothering me too much yet. I didn't expect the HT thing to be so entertaining from a sound perspective. I'll probably sell it soon and get the HTM2D. I really didn't expect that I'd be watching & listening to allot of multi-channel material, hence the current choice. But again, it's not bad or anywhere near that; I'm just nit picking. Funny thing though, is that the 805s in the rear sound great with the 803D's can't notice them (must be the role their playing - rear surround). If the extra 1.5k is an issue the HTM3 is great choice, if not go with the HTM2. For me it was just not knowing any better. They say that hindsight is always 20/20.

[llubon]

Thanks, that's excatly what I was thinking and I figured you were doing more 2 ch than anything else. I'm just about ready to pull the trigger on an 804S with HTM3 and I was flip-flopping between the HTM4 & 3... I'm going to use your experence and go with the matched set-up... Thanks so much for your input.

llubon