Rotel 1057 vs Arcam AVR250

[srusmantijo]

Hi folks,

I'm looking to replace my Denon AVR 3300, which starts giving me intermittent audio problems. I have B&W Nautilus 804 and HTM2, rated at 50-200W. I have seriously considered a Rotel 1057 until I auditioned an Arcam AVR250. 8O

I have auditioned both Rotel RSX1057 and RSP1068/RMP1071 connected to B&W 703. They sound good, much better than my Denon and BW speakers.

I also listened to Arcam AVR 250 and Quad Speakers. Much nicer than the Rotel setup, I think.

I think Rotel 1057 has better feature sets than Arcam, at a better price ($1300) than Arcam AVR 250 at $1600. I wish there were a dealer in San Jose area who has both system so that I can compare them side by side.

I would appreciate any input.

[lvhung]

Rotel 1057 or arcam 250 both are good
But 804 I think deserve more powerful amp
speakers are slaves of amplifiers
Try to listen to some more expensive gears

[fordster]

I guess it depends on how you like your music to sound. I own Rotel gear and have used it with Quad (11L) and B&W (CM1) speakers. I've also had demos of various Arcam equipment (but not with Quad or B&W). My preference has always been for the Rotel equipment, even compared to the top end Arcam stuff. I find Arcam equipment to "warm" and not pacey or transparent enough for my tastes. I also find the Quad speakers to be no match for the B&Ws. The Quad's are great speakers but again, lack the pace and transparency of the B&W's.

It just goes to show that whilst it's always good to get other people's input, ultimately you have to go with what sounds best for you. I'm not surprised that you thought the 703s sounded better than your 804s as what you were reall noticing was how much better speakers sound when driven by a better amplifier. Either the Arcam or Rotel will drive your speakers better than the Denon but neither of them will achieve the full potential of what those speakers can do.

Depending on the problems with your Denon and any space issues you may have, it may be possible to hook up an external power amplifier to drive the speakers and keep the Denon?

[focus]

Before i settled for a Rotel RSX 1067 i was considering the Arcam 250 too, but the AVR 250 didn't have pre amp outputs which was important if i wanted to upgrade with a external power amp, which i did. So it wasn't an alternative to go for the AVR 250, (but the AVR 300 has).

[FernandoF]

Hi Srusmantijo,

I believe Access to Music in San Rafael, CA sells both Arcam and Rotel. Their website is www.access-music.com.

And by the way, I agree with Focus : the lack of pre-outs on the Arcam AVR-250 could be a deal-breaker for many people, so you may want to check the AVR-300 as well.

If you do audition them, please post your comments !

Good luck,

Fernando