Rotel RMB-1085

[gianni]

One more question Shadow 8,

Did you notice any diffrrence is soundstage / depth / imaging or would you say the differences are most noticeable in the areas you described above? ( slightly softer treble, midrange liquidity and detail if I understood correctly )

[shadow 8]

I think the soundstage was very similar but I need to listen more to be more confident in that assessment. Its hard to listen beyond the improvements I have heard since it was such a significant improvement.

[randyman]

Re:

Shadow,

I'd love to do an in home trial. The problem I'm finding is that the only 2 local Rotel dealers in my area are not stocking the digital amps. If I were to purchase one, it has to be a special order they say, thus making the amp non returnable. Both shops here stated this so it must be something of a standard on special order items. While I find it hard to believe, I guess I am just stuck with this realization that I might not be able to do an in home trial prior to actually paying for the unit. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[shadow 8]

Randy its the same way here. The amp was special ordered for a customer who decided between the order and delivery to get a much more expensive amp, and I just happened to drop by the afternoon it arrived and asked the owner if I could try it out on a lark for the weekend. After listening to it, the more cynical side of me wonders if this amp was readily available for audition, how much a dent it would make in the sales of higher priced amps from McIntosh or Classe. Maybe not much since the guys looking at these amps would not pay much attention to a $1200 five channel amp, but IMO this amp is yet more proof of what a great company Rotel is and how much performance you get for your money. I have been pretty hard on them over the past six months due to my concerns about the pre/pro features, but with this amp they drove one out of the park.

[cug]

Naming?!

As for the RMB-1085, I'm amazed at how similar it sounds to the 1075, which is a very good thing.

Is nobody else wondering why this amp is called "1085" and not "1075 II" or similar? All the other amps with the 100W ICEPower modules are named 107x:

- 1072: two channels a 100W
- 1076: six channels a 100W
- 1077: seven channels a 100W

And here it is:

- 1085: 5 channels with 100W

The RB-1080 has 200W per channel. The naming just doesn't make sense.

I'm still waiting for a 200WPC stereo amp for the smaller wallet, name it 1082 or whatever. That might be something for me ...

[Mikael]

I will stand in the line for a 200 watt ICE Power too, an RB 1082.

[shadow 8]

IMO the 1085 sounds very little like the 1075 or any of the Rotel amps I have heard (1075, 1095, 1080, 1070, 1056). I have owned all of these amps except the 1075, and tried that amp in my system for about a week, and they all sound very similar, the 1095 being the best of the group. As I noted earlier, the 1085 sounds better than any of the other amps in my room with my speakers. YMMV.

[hifiguymi]

cug,

Since the RMB-1075 is still a current product it would be very confusing to use a variation of the same model number on two products.

Eric

[cug]

Since the RMB-1075 is still a current product it would be very confusing to use a variation of the same model number on two products.

I knew this argument would come ...

I was just wondering about that ...

[Leef DaLucky]

ya Rotel's nomenclature is pretty screwed.
I've been watching this for years.

what they shoulda done is go:
r (rotel)
m (multichannel amp)
d (digital Class D)
7= 100w

ie. RMD-1075
that being 100x5 channels.

then saved up the biggie:
RMD-1085 which (hopefully) woulda been the 200x5 amp which a lot of us are waiting for.

I guess they pump so much $$ into dev, they can't hire a guy to come up with new and intruiging product names.
*hints* (I'll switch if you pay me well, rotel!)

Heh!

that USE to be the general idea though.
107x=100w
108x=200w
109x=200+

i hate f'd up nomenclature.
it says to me, as a consumer, "hey look what we did! It works AWESOME!...now we have NO idea what to charge for it...."

[boroty]

What type of speakers are you driving. I am looking at a similar setup with the 3808 and either a 1080 or 2 1072's attached to B & W 803D's. I was wondering if this would adequately drive these speakers.

[yourtoys7]

My brother in law just ordered one, we can't wait to see the difference at least at the fronts from 1080 (which I just love)...

[boroty]

It's already a standard. Rotel doesn't support it it doesn't mean
it's not a standard. I have 4 devices plugged in to my Denon 3808CI -
all of them through HDMI with one cable each - Toshiba A35 HD DVD,
Panasonic BD30 Blu-ray, Oppo 980H for SACDs and my Moto HD TV cable box.
What else do you need to call HDMI a standard?

Snowboarder, How do you like your 3808CI. I am putting together a new system. I am looking at the following setup:

Denon 3808CI
Rotel 1092 to drive my main speakers
B & W 803D or 803s as main speakers

As an experience user of the 3808 do you think it will match well with the Amp & speakers? I see a lot of negative feedback regarding Denon's ability as a pre-pro especially for these speakers. What do you think?

[snowboarder]

It seems like people are starting to discover how good 1085 is
After 3 months I have to say I'm blown away by this amp.
Can't wait for a 2-channel stronger brother!
My Denon 3808 has been flawless, not sure where you found
complains about its pre-pro functions, but it's not my experience at all.
Not a single hick up, very fast switching, recognizing of all the different
new audio formats... Not sure what else...
It simply works. Don't have any experience with your speakers, sorry.

[shadow 8]

Just a note, I decided to buy the silver 1085 I demoed a couple weeks ago. I am quite happy with the sound. Now I am contemplating buying a 1069 which is a much more difficult decision. :W

[style]

Hi,
I have a RB1092 with 803s front, RB1091 center htm4s, RB1092 rear 805s.
Pre/pro Rotel Rsp1068.
Now I search a pre for the bluray & hd disc. the denon 4308 or 3808...

I don't no of the Denon give the same quality like 1068 or 1069! but the 4308
give really much.

The new power-ampli ICE tecnoligie are a good job from Rotel in Swizterland
the "old" RB1090 is no more available - out catalog!!

greetings from Switzerland
Omar

[shadow 8]

You're welcome. Glad to give back a bit to the forum, as I've learned so much over the last few years.

As for the RMB-1085, I'm amazed at how similar it sounds to the 1075, which is a very good thing. Watched the blu-ray of "Resident Evil: Extinction" yesterday, and WOW, the Dolby TrueHD surround was amazing! The movie itself was a bit weak, but the picture and sound quality were stellar. The 1085 really did justice to the surround effects.

Also watched some tracks of the "Dave Matthews: Live from Radio City Music Hall" blu-ray, and the guitar performances were amazing. I am definitey impressed with the 1085.

Just a follow up question. Did you need to make any adjustments in the 1068 in order to bring up the LFE channel on your blu ray player up to the other channels. I read in another forum that if you use the analog outputs on the blu ray player, either it or the preamp had to have this 10 db adjustment to bring up the LFE to match the other channels. Since I have my DVD-A player on the analog inputs and I planned to get a Zektor switcher like you, changing the bass output on the Rotel each time I switch from DVD-A to blu ray would be incredibly cumbersome. Whats your experience on this issue?

[Blindamood]

Just a follow up question. Did you need to make any adjustments in the 1068 in order to bring up the LFE channel on your blu ray player up to the other channels. I read in another forum that if you use the analog outputs on the blu ray player, either it or the preamp had to have this 10 db adjustment to bring up the LFE to match the other channels. Since I have my DVD-A player on the analog inputs and I planned to get a Zektor switcher like you, changing the bass output on the Rotel each time I switch from DVD-A to blu ray would be incredibly cumbersome. Whats your experience on this issue?

I'm not aware of any LFE issue with the player that I have (Sony BDP-S1). I do not make any adjustments between the multi-channel sources (currently an Oppo 980HD for DVD-A/SACD), and I think it sounds fine. Maybe it would vary based on the blu-ray player in question?

Speaking of LFE, I'm currently listening to the DVD-A of the Flaming Lips "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" for the first time and boy, is this disc bass-intensive! 8)

[shadow 8]

Thanks for your response, I will check with the player I ultimately buy to assure it does this adjustment before it outputs the analog to my pre/pro.

[Leef DaLucky]

to blindamood and shadow 8!

anymore follow up to this?
you cats still happy?
been thinking more and more about following this up.
admittedly, i'm still not entirely happy on rotel's stance on Pre-amps, but i'm considering switching over from my beloved classD Panasonic.
time to move up.
I'd love to have them do a HDMI1.3 Pre, along with this little beauty, but I completely understand where they're coming from.
now that TrueHD and DTS-Ma are being decoded in the player, I just MIGHT be able to justify this upgrade.
please let me know if either of you guys have had this running with Blu.
I'm dying to hear some dave matthews on my paradigms with a 1069/1085 combo!

[shadow 8]

I still have my 1085 and it still sounds wonderful, but decided not to get a 1069 due to the numerous current glitches. I bought a used Arcam AVP 700 and am very happy with it.

[Leef DaLucky]

ok...good to know.
thanks for the reply!
I've been following the 1069 thread and have read a couple reviews on it.
I hear you on the arcam, though. That makes sense.
darn my obsessive-compulsive-disorder, sometimes. I really wanted to have matching components for a rt-1080/rmb-1085/rcd-1072/rsp-1069 combo.
The rotel stuff have always been aesthetically pleasing to me.
It's a shame the 1069 remains the weak link.
I REALLY want that 1085 amp though.

[shadow 8]

I wanted to matching 1069 too, but it was too buggy and limited in use. Maybe the next version or 1098 replacement will get it done right.

[Blindamood]

I'm still loving my RMB-1085. Since I recently down-sized my living space, it was the perfect choice to fit in a smaller compartment without any issues related to size, heat, etc. To me, it still sounds fantastic, paired with the RSP-1068. For blu-ray, I'm running analog outs through my Zektor switcher, so I'm not really missing anything by staying with the 1068. For the moment, I have not yet installed the rear speakers (still trying to figure out a non-invasive wiring scheme for the back wall), so I'm only using 3 channels.

[WI Rotel]

Just a follow up question. Did you need to make any adjustments in the 1068 in order to bring up the LFE channel on your blu ray player up to the other channels. I read in another forum that if you use the analog outputs on the blu ray player, either it or the preamp had to have this 10 db adjustment to bring up the LFE to match the other channels. Since I have my DVD-A player on the analog inputs and I planned to get a Zektor switcher like you, changing the bass output on the Rotel each time I switch from DVD-A to blu ray would be incredibly cumbersome. Whats your experience on this issue?

This is the main reason why the 1069 is worth every penny. HDMI, one cable, one set up, done. Plus, if your blueray player goes up to 7.1 ( whichever format) you wont be limited by the players 5.1 output plugs. For example the sony blue ray es player will decode 7.1 formats (not DTS MA yet) but it only has 5.1 audio connections thus 7.1 PCM output (or undecoded format) is an HDMI affair only.

[WI Rotel]

I still have my 1085 and it still sounds wonderful, but decided not to get a 1069 due to the numerous current glitches. I bought a used Arcam AVP 700 and am very happy with it.

Don't be afraid, the new ones have no glitches at all, the 1069 rocks and sounds better that the 1068 too (better processed stereo algorithm)!
:T

[Mig17]

Hi WI Rotel
I listend to Rotel 1069 at Rotel Singapore
and i found the sound is quite compressed and not effortless
I think the 1069 need more time of breaking in
Do you think the same WI

[WI Rotel]

Hi WI Rotel
I listend to Rotel 1069 at Rotel Singapore
and i found the sound is quite compressed and not effortless
I think the 1069 need more time of breaking in
Do you think the same WI

Mine sounds fabulous! The difference between Dolby digital and Dolby true HD are readily noticeable, a good measure of its revealing character. The measure of a good pre is how invisible it is. The 1069 is truely invisible indeed.
Soundwise the only difference between the 1068 and the 1069 is in processed stereo mode, in the 1068 you could readily tell the difference between bypass and "stereo". In the 1069 they are indistinguishable except for the greater bass presence added by the sub.
The fidelity achieved by PCM via HDMI from the high def formats is simply second to none it simply doesn't get any better than this! Unfortunately my BD player doesn't decode DTS HDMA and I have yet to find either a lossless 7.1 LPCM or 7.1 Dolby trueHD movie, ergo, my 7.1 expirience is limited to the rotel extensions of dolby digital which do sound great but are noticeably inferior to true lossless audio tracks.

[Nuthed]

delete

[btf1980]

Unfortunately my BD player doesn't decode DTS HDMA and I have yet to find either a lossless 7.1 LPCM or 7.1 Dolby trueHD movie, ergo, my 7.1 expirience is limited to the rotel extensions of dolby digital which do sound great but are noticeably inferior to true lossless audio tracks.

Wi Rotel, you should check out 3:10 To Yuma on blu-ray. It's 7.1 PCM, sounds fabulous.

Also, Ultimate Avengers (animated) and Flash Point (Import title) both also have 7.1 PCM.

[WI Rotel]

Wi Rotel, you should check out 3:10 To Yuma on blu-ray. It's 7.1 PCM, sounds fabulous.

Also, Ultimate Avengers (animated) and Flash Point (Import title) both also have 7.1 PCM.

Thanks for the info!

[bleeding ears]

WI Rotel, I have to question your comment on the 1069 processor. Are you sure the stereo mode in the 1069 is really any different to the 1068 ? or were you just suggesting that it was possible. eg did you get this info confirmed by Rotel ? or did you own the 1068 ?

The reason I question your comment is, as the owner of a 1068 processor myself with (V1.2.8 update) I have found little difference between bypass mode and stereo mode all things being equal (when all tone controls, crossovers,and sub is off in stereo mode of course)

Any difference I hear is when stereo mode has speakers set to small (crossovers used at around 60-80hz sub is on and or tone controls used)

In fact I find having the ability to adjust settings in stereo mode is producing a better sound than when bypass mode is used.

After hours of switching back and forth I found the sound of the 1068 in stereo mode (with adjustments) to be better than when using a Rotel 990bx (was once top of line) 2 channel pre amp (now sold)

Obviously each persons preferences,setup and room etc will give differening results, but with my setup, I find little if any difference all things being equal between stereo mode and bypass mode which is what you say you found with the 1069.

Even using a different part of the same song will change the sound and the result sometimes so it is easy to come to incorrect conclusions.

Hope I have not made it all too confusing to follow but I just have not heard the benefits of other processors/ preamps THAT I HAVE USED over the 1068.

If the 1069 is in fact a step up from the 1068 in stereo mode, that is good news.

Not looking for an argument here just a interesting discussion on each persons comparisons etc.

I also read with interest the differences between the 1085 and other amps so please dont let my comments detract from the original post/subject the 1085 amp.


Pete

[bmott]

i love my 1085. Sounds so much better with my 805s's then my anthem mca20/mca30 amps

[WI Rotel]

WI Rotel, I have to question your comment on the 1069 processor. Are you sure the stereo mode in the 1069 is really any different to the 1068 ? or were you just suggesting that it was possible. eg did you get this info confirmed by Rotel ? or did you own the 1068 ?

The reason I question your comment is, as the owner of a 1068 processor myself with (V1.2.8 update) I have found little difference between bypass mode and stereo mode all things being equal (when all tone controls, crossovers,and sub is off in stereo mode of course)

Any difference I hear is when stereo mode has speakers set to small (crossovers used at around 60-80hz sub is on and or tone controls used)

In fact I find having the ability to adjust settings in stereo mode is producing a better sound than when bypass mode is used.

After hours of switching back and forth I found the sound of the 1068 in stereo mode (with adjustments) to be better than when using a Rotel 990bx (was once top of line) 2 channel pre amp (now sold)

Obviously each persons preferences,setup and room etc will give differening results, but with my setup, I find little if any difference all things being equal between stereo mode and bypass mode which is what you say you found with the 1069.

Even using a different part of the same song will change the sound and the result sometimes so it is easy to come to incorrect conclusions.

Hope I have not made it all too confusing to follow but I just have not heard the benefits of other processors/ preamps THAT I HAVE USED over the 1068.

If the 1069 is in fact a step up from the 1068 in stereo mode, that is good news.

Not looking for an argument here just a interesting discussion on each persons comparisons etc.

I also read with interest the differences between the 1085 and other amps so please dont let my comments detract from the original post/subject the 1085 amp.


Pete

All your points are correct in my book. My fronts are set to small with crossovers set at 60. It used to be when I used my 1068( don't know the software version) that there was quite a noticeable difference between stereo and bypass mode with the 1069 there is no difference at all if anything the bypass mode had even more bass than before, but I also swapped cables so that might have something to do with it. In general the big difference 'tween the 1068 and 1069 is the HDMI (obviously). In my system it works flawlessly I have my Elite plasma connected to the 1069 by HDMI (single connection) everything else connected to the 1069: blueray player HDMI, Cable and xbox 360 by component video and digital audio (toslink). Switching is perfect and I'm using the upscaler for the non-HDMI sources. Upscaling is kind of a boner since on a 50 inch srceen it doesn't "improve" standard 480i broadcast material, at least in any noticeable way its simply a 1080p version of the same crappy original signal.
HDMI makes connecting equipment extraordinarily simple while offering the highest fidelity. I can't even fathom what a nightmare connecting 7.1 audio and component video using analog connections must be! Remmember, with legacy digital connections the most you can get is 5.1. Even worse, many of the players that offer 7.1 output through HDMI only have 5.1 analog connections!

[grit]

WI Rotel, I have to question your comment on the 1069 processor. Are you sure the stereo mode in the 1069 is really any different to the 1068 ? or were you just suggesting that it was possible. eg did you get this info confirmed by Rotel ? or did you own the 1068 ?

The reason I question your comment is, as the owner of a 1068 processor myself with (V1.2.8 update) I have found little difference between bypass mode and stereo mode all things being equal (when all tone controls, crossovers,and sub is off in stereo mode of course)

Any difference I hear is when stereo mode has speakers set to small (crossovers used at around 60-80hz sub is on and or tone controls used)

In fact I find having the ability to adjust settings in stereo mode is producing a better sound than when bypass mode is used.

After hours of switching back and forth I found the sound of the 1068 in stereo mode (with adjustments) to be better than when using a Rotel 990bx (was once top of line) 2 channel pre amp (now sold)

Obviously each persons preferences,setup and room etc will give differening results, but with my setup, I find little if any difference all things being equal between stereo mode and bypass mode which is what you say you found with the 1069.

Even using a different part of the same song will change the sound and the result sometimes so it is easy to come to incorrect conclusions.

Hope I have not made it all too confusing to follow but I just have not heard the benefits of other processors/ preamps THAT I HAVE USED over the 1068.

If the 1069 is in fact a step up from the 1068 in stereo mode, that is good news.

Not looking for an argument here just a interesting discussion on each persons comparisons etc.

I also read with interest the differences between the 1085 and other amps so please dont let my comments detract from the original post/subject the 1085 amp.


Pete

I can second WI Rotel's findings. I ran a 1068 processor, 1075 amp, and B&W 703s for 2-ch stereo, and rotel's last CD player (can't remember the model) as well as their previous DVD player. I had digital coax for digital, and I had analog connections as well. Not at all surprisingly, the digital connections did not have nearly as wide sound stage or as clearly detailed highs. I found the processed analog sound to be very similar to this. After all, it gets digitized in order to apply the processing, then coverted back to analog again.

The pure analog sound was, IMO, noticibly better, providing a wider sound stage, better imaging, and clearly highs. In fact, in one Norah Jones song (can't remember now), the processed version sounded like she lisped very briefly in her 's' sounds. In analog, that didn't exist.

This finding repeated itself when I switched to a 1095 amp on Aerial Acoustic 7b's.

I've never heard the 1069, so I can't offer any input about that.

If you're not hearing a difference between processed and pure, you might try changing your RCA cables to a different brand or higher quality.

[bleeding ears]

Grit, you may be right in regards to the analog cables making a difference but now that I think more about it, maybe I could upgrade other components also.

Making changes may reveal more of the hidden sound that I may not be hearing. I may then hear a difference between stereo and analog.

eg cd player, speaker cables and analog cables and speakers could be upgraded

When and as I upgrade, I will have to re- assess the results I get.

Pete

[Blindamood]

RMB-1085 w/ Denon Receiver

Interesting...I just read back through this thread and noticed several of you are using your RMB-1085 with the Denon AVR-3808CI. I have been looking for a new processor for quite a while (to replace my RSP-1068 with an HDMI alternative). After a lot of searching -- not to mention a VERY good deal I found on the 3808 -- I have ordered the Denon.

Since my new space is much more difficult to work with (no more dedicated room w/ easy access -- components now stored in a cabinet below my tv), I even considered just going with a receiver period. There is no way I can fit all of the analog interconnects required to use my multi-channel switcher with all 5.1 channels. Since I've moved I've been limited to the L/C/R only, and trying to figure out how to wire the surrounds and sub.

But, I just could not give up my RMB-1085. I love the sound of this thing, and hope that the simplified wiring (thanks to HDMI) and extra features of the Denon will result in a sweet new setup.