Tired of waiting on Rotel, pre-ordered the Integra DTC 9.8 pre/pro

[Ron Reda]

Well, it looks like I'm officially off the Rotel train. I've had my RSP-1066 for 6 years now and after a recent brown out that wiped out ALL of my settings, I started exploring other options for a pre/pro. While I haven't been all that concerned with the new lossless formats that are out there and have always been way satisfied with the 1066's performance, redoing all of the settings got me to thinking. This piece of equipment, while excellent sounding, seems archaic by today's standards. Fumbling around through the DOS prompt-like menus had me thinking that even my Denon 3802 (which was purchased several years before the 1066) had better menus and navigation and is way more intuitive. While I feel that compromises needed to be made to this piece to get it to sound as good as it has at this price point, I am just plain tired of it's little quirks (how it takes several seconds to lock onto a signal and process it accordingly when coming back from commercials, not being able to run test tones unless I select a digital processing mode then head back to the test tone page before it loses signal, etc.). I'm very confident that the DTC 9.8 will solve these issues. Not to mention that I'm looking forward to getting rid of the significant amount of cable spaghetti that's been accumlating behind my rack. Don't get me wrong, it's be a great trip with the 1066 and it's provided me with 6 years of audio bliss (or at least, as close as I've come to it on my budget), but it's just time to move on.

If anyone's interested, you can download the manual here:

http://63.148.251.135/redirect_service.cfm?type=own_manuals&file=DTC-9.8_En_0604.pdf

[gianni]

Ron,

Please do keep us posted on your findings with the new pre. Aside from the obvious advantages the Integra has as far as being up to date, I would like to get your impressions on basic sound quality comparisons - that is after you have had a while to get acquainted with it and let it settle in.

[Mark_C.]

I'm five years now with my 1066 but I have no reason nor urge to replace it. Yes, it has quirks (like all consumer electronics) but it does a great job for my needs. Good luck with your Integra.

[Ron Reda]

Ron,

Please do keep us posted on your findings with the new pre. Aside from the obvious advantages the Integra has as far as being up to date, I would like to get your impressions on basic sound quality comparisons - that is after you have had a while to get acquainted with it and let it settle in.

gianni,

No doubt, I sure will. I'd like to say I'm making this move without any trepidation, but I can't...I've grown to love the sound of my system, especially in 2 channel because I'm more of a music guy than HT these days. So, on that front, I'm somewhat nervous to make the move especially after enjoying the Rotel sound for the past 6 years. BUT, after my recent frustrations, I'm also looking to simplify things via HDMI and while I'd love to give Rotel some more of my money, they just don't have an up to date pre-pro that's going to suit my needs and future proof me (as much as a piece of equipment can these days) going forward.

[soundhound]

I almost joined "that" (integra) camp, but opted for a new RSP-1068 instead. (will retire my RSX-1056 to the basement)
Plenty of audio codec options, our monitor has multiple HDMI inputs, we have a seperate 2 channel rig and Rotel is Sooooooooooo much more pleasant to look at. I could not get past the Integra looking like the mass marketed "boxes" just to gain the HDMI capability.
A local dealer here carries both, so it was a no brainer for me seeing them side by side.
With things evolving at the rate they are right now, any of todays hot buttons are prone to be obsolete in a year or 2 anyway, and if I am missing something with the "bleeding edge" technology, oh well.

[PewterTA]

I was about to join the Integra camp as well, but I like my 1098 and can wait until Rotel gets the whole HMDI1.3/DDTHD/DTSMA thing figured out.

Plus that gives the 'industry' time to get it all work out as well. Plus you know the quality that the Rotel unit will have (sound quality wise) will be WELL worth the wait. :T

But seriously, enjoy the Integra I've heard really good things about it in the use of HT...not so much with analog sources (not that's it's bad), but just much better with digital sources.

[Blindamood]

I'm still holding on to my RSP-1068 as well. I love the look and sound of Rotel, and adding the Zektor switcher allows me to hook up all of my HDMI video and multi-channel audio options. I've debated the new pre-pro option as well, but just can't justify give up the Rotel. If I were going with a new pre-pro, the Integra (or its Onkyo Pro sister product) would definitely be at the top of the list.

[DL86]

I might be looking to get one of these also in the near future. If the digital performance is very good then thats all I need, I use a seperate system basically for 2 channel audio. Please keep us informed when it arrives.

[Mark-n-b]

While I do understand why Rotel may want to wait before committing to an HD player, I don’t understand why rotel takes so long to come to the market with new technology for its processors. I realise the standard arguments that it is a small company, cannot compete with Denon, wait till the technology it is right etc.etc. But with the company being owned by the same company that owns Classe and B&W there should be plenty of money available, at least for a refresh of its 1098 processor once every so often, and I'm not talking about a half-arsed HDMI 'switcher' either.

The 1098 needs HDMI 1.3, it needs HD decoding and it needs to be able to calibrate speakers for any input, including PCM over HDMI.

[Ron Reda]

I almost joined "that" (integra) camp, but opted for a new RSP-1068 instead. (will retire my RSX-1056 to the basement)
Plenty of audio codec options, our monitor has multiple HDMI inputs, we have a seperate 2 channel rig and Rotel is Sooooooooooo much more pleasant to look at. I could not get past the Integra looking like the mass marketed "boxes" just to gain the HDMI capability.
A local dealer here carries both, so it was a no brainer for me seeing them side by side.
With things evolving at the rate they are right now, any of todays hot buttons are prone to be obsolete in a year or 2 anyway, and if I am missing something with the "bleeding edge" technology, oh well.

While I most certainly like the look of the 1066 a TON better than the DTC 9.8, it's all about the sound to me. Looks are secondary to me (unless it's one of those Outlaws with the green power button...YUCK).

I was about to join the Integra camp as well, but I like my 1098 and can wait until Rotel gets the whole HMDI1.3/DDTHD/DTSMA thing figured out.

Plus that gives the 'industry' time to get it all work out as well. Plus you know the quality that the Rotel unit will have (sound quality wise) will be WELL worth the wait. :T

But seriously, enjoy the Integra I've heard really good things about it in the use of HT...not so much with analog sources (not that's it's bad), but just much better with digital sources.

I hear ya, but the 1098 was a good bit more than the 1066 at the time. If I had a 1098, I'd wait also!

See, now you've got me worried! I've currently got a Musical Fidelity A3 CD player as a transport feeding a Musical Fidelity A324 DAC which runs analog to my Rotel. It sounds absolutely wonderful with a quality recording. At first, I was nervous about moving from the sound of the Rotel to the sound of the Integra considering the use of the analog connections but then figured the Rotel is merely passing the analog signal or is this not the case? Perhaps the analog section of the Integra is not on par (or better) than the Rotel? Plus, I also thought that some internal parts may have been improved in the 6 years that I've owned the 1066.

I might be looking to get one of these also in the near future. If the digital performance is very good then thats all I need, I use a seperate system basically for 2 channel audio. Please keep us informed when it arrives.

I sure will. According to my dealer, it's gonna take around a month as they are on a pretty lengthy back order. As I alluded to above, I kind of have a 2-channel system integrated with my HT gear. I have an Odyssey Stratos stereo amp powering my front floor standers and then the CD player/DAC combo runs analog to the Rotel. The remaining 5 channels are all running off their own Marantz MA500 monoblocks. I've found that it works quite well for me.

[Dmantis]

Even NAD has 1.3 HDMI switching on the T175(preamp) and T785 receiver. I have been kicking around getting a Pioneer Elite vsx94 receiver and use it as a preamp until Rotel comes out with 1.3 HDMI and Processing for everything.

I probably will go NAD or Pioneer ELite. I'm sick of Rotel quarks 2. I can't even use the component video switcher in my rsp1068 as I lose video when changing inputs. I only have 2 component sources left in my system and will be all HDMI but I hated it from the start when I was full component video. Rotel has serviced the preamp and it still does it.

Dan

[Regnad]

I went from a 3.5 year old 1068 to an Integra and the 2-channel via the multi-input is quite good. I believe that it is the only path that does not have A/D/A conversion.

Bladerunner Final Cut in Dolby TrueHD is really why the switch was so worth it. The 1068 served me very well for almost 4 years.

[Ferry]

I will replace the Rotel 1098 for a Onkyo 9.8 as soon as its on sale in Europe.

[Ron Reda]

I went from a 3.5 year old 1068 to an Integra and the 2-channel via the multi-input is quite good. I believe that it is the only path that does not have A/D/A conversion.

So, the CD input DOES have A/D/A conversion???

[Regnad]

That's my understanding. IIRC, when using the CD input there are modes like "stereo" and "direct" and I think that they are digital since the various surround modes are available as well as sub-out in some cases.

I would welcome any actual written specs that confirm this, though. The manual is not clear.

[Ron Reda]

That's my understanding. IIRC, when using the CD input there are modes like "stereo" and "direct" and I think that they are digital since the various surround modes are available as well as sub-out in some cases.

I would welcome any actual written specs that confirm this, though. The manual is not clear.

Regnad,

I agree, it (the manual) most certainly isn't. From what I've gathered, I believe the "stereo" mode to be free of processing (no A/D/A conversion) whereas the "direct" mode provides a small amount of processing. Here's the excerpt I'm talking about (pg. 90):

Direct
In this mode, audio from the input source is output
directly with minimal processing, providing high-fidelity
reproduction. All of the source’s audio channels are
output as they are.
Stereo
Sound is output by the front left and right speakers.

[soundhound]

Would direct not be the same as with the Rotels where it is straight through analog w/ volume, only?
Stereo will give you the sub out option.
Can you take a digital input and run it in "direct" mode? I would suspect not

[Dmantis]

I got a question now that I looked into the Integra Preamp.

1) How does it sound playing CD's compared to the Rotel preamp?
2) Did you notice any increase in the highs and lack of Bass?
I ask this question as I used to Install Integra and Onkyo receivers which I found to be very bright and lacking bass response. I also own a Integra DTR 5.3 which I use for a garage 2 channel rig. I got it from one of my customers who upgraded to Pioneer Elite. His system sound so much better(B&W speakers all around with a B&W 600 sub) with the Elite receiver. I use the Integra in the garage and noticed the extreme Highs with my Polk Atruim 55 speakes compared to when I connect to my Rotel sytem.

I'd like to read a nice review on sound quality. I see it's stacked with everything I want in a preamp and the bonus is Balanced out. Thats something else Rotels preamps lack. I don't believe it's completely nessary to have but nice if you have any kind of Emi or RF problems. Balanced is better shielded .

Talk to be Bro and congrads on the new Preamp. The price is also freakin awesome. I saw the retail is 1699.99. that rules.

[Ron Reda]

Would direct not be the same as with the Rotels where it is straight through analog w/ volume, only?
Stereo will give you the sub out option.
Can you take a digital input and run it in "direct" mode? I would suspect not

I thought so too (regarding "direct"), but on the Integra it's the opposite (I believe).

Again, I believe so (on the digital input) based on the excerpt from the manual.

Also, I found the following link that shows the "DIRECT" mode under the processing header which leads me to believe that "STEREO" undergoes no processing.

http://www.integrahometheater.com/model.cfm?m=DTC-9.8&class=Separates&p=f

I got a question now that I looked into the Integra Preamp.

1) How does it sound playing CD's compared to the Rotel preamp?
2) Did you notice any increase in the highs and lack of Bass?
I ask this question as I used to Install Integra and Onkyo receivers which I found to be very bright and lacking bass response. I also own a Integra DTR 5.3 which I use for a garage 2 channel rig. I got it from one of my customers who upgraded to Pioneer Elite. His system sound so much better(B&W speakers all around with a B&W 600 sub) with the Elite receiver. I use the Integra in the garage and noticed the extreme Highs with my Polk Atruim 55 speakes compared to when I connect to my Rotel sytem.

I'd like to read a nice review on sound quality. I see it's stacked with everything I want in a preamp and the bonus is Balanced out. Thats something else Rotels preamps lack. I don't believe it's completely nessary to have but nice if you have any kind of Emi or RF problems. Balanced is better shielded .

Talk to be Bro and congrads on the new Preamp. The price is also freakin awesome. I saw the retail is 1699.99. that rules.

Sorry Man, but I haven't taken ownership yet, only ordered it but thanks for the congrats!

"1) How does it sound playing CD's compared to the Rotel preamp?"

That was my main sticking point...the Rotel sounds so good in this area and I've been trying to make sure it at least sounds equally as good. However, I'm using an outboard DAC that upsamples to 24/192kHz, so it had better sound good.

"I'd like to read a nice review on sound quality."

Here are a few:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/proce...2-7.1-ssp.html

http://www.soundstageav.com/onhometheater/20071201.htm

Pictures:

Front - http://www.gspr.com/integra/images/dtc_98_front_300.jpg

Back - http://www.gspr.com/integra/images/dtc_98_rear_300.jpg

[Regnad]

Regarding the DTC-9.8 Stereo mode...

From the manual on page 126:
"When the Stereo listening mode is selected, only the
front speakers and subwoofer produce sound."

That would mean digital processing, right? I doubt that it has analog LP/HP filters and mixing.

[Ron Reda]

Yep, you're right. CRAP. I don't like that there's no analog bypass.

[mattburk]

If you use the fl & fr of the 7.1 analog inputs, would that work as an analog bypass?

[Regnad]

Yes, that's what I think is the case and that is the way I listen to a Squeezebox/DAC1 and it sounds great. I also have the Squeezebox's digital output going to a digital input so I can listen with all the surround modes.

I have seen nothing that confirms that the multi-input is always analog, though.

[Ron Reda]

If you use the fl & fr of the 7.1 analog inputs, would that work as an analog bypass?

Can't cuz I need them for my universal player.

[Gremal]

My Integra DTC 9.8 just arrived last night. I'm not as concerned about the lack of bypass because I use an integrated tube amp for my two-channel audio, and decouple that amp's internal preamp for use with the HT applications. I am VERY concerned about the sonic signature of the Integra adversely effecting my surround sound applications, as I was previously using a YBA-designed Audio Refinement pre/pro. Hopefully my tube amp handling the front L/R and the Audio Refinement Multi-5 I'm using for the other channels in my 7.1 setup will retain enough of a detailed, open signature so that I can live with it. I may be able to try it out this weekend and will report my findings if I have time. The Integra certainly seems to be a quality piece and the price is right. I'm just apprehensive until I know what it sounds like. Hoping for the best and expecting the worst.

[Dmantis]

My Integra DTC 9.8 just arrived last night. I'm not as concerned about the lack of bypass because I use an integrated tube amp for my two-channel audio, and decouple that amp's internal preamp for use with the HT applications. I am VERY concerned about the sonic signature of the Integra adversely effecting my surround sound applications, as I was previously using a YBA-designed Audio Refinement pre/pro. Hopefully my tube amp handling the front L/R and the Audio Refinement Multi-5 I'm using for the other channels in my 7.1 setup will retain enough of a detailed, open signature so that I can live with it. I may be able to try it out this weekend and will report my findings if I have time. The Integra certainly seems to be a quality piece and the price is right. I'm just apprehensive until I know what it sounds like. Hoping for the best and expecting the worst.

I'm looking forward to your review.

[Ron Reda]

Same here as I'm still waiting on mine.

[mattburk]

bump for review on the integra.

[Dmantis]

This preamp looks to have all the good one would want in a new preamp. Even balanced out and in.

[soundhound]

No doubt,
something for every technological format freak, but, see posts above....

[Ron Reda]

Much to my surprise, my dealer called me yesterday and said mine was in...3 weeks early. I was unable to hook it up last night (probably gonna have to wait for the weekend), but did unpack it. WOW, this thing is a hoss! It is roughly the size of a flagship receiver. After seeing it in person, I have to say it looks much better than in the pictures I saw online. Hope to have it up and running by the games on Sunday.

[soundhound]

Congrats,
after the euphoria wears off you will have to give an honest to goodness sound quality comparison, as it seems as though you liked the 1066 sonically.

[Dmantis]

Congrats,
after the euphoria wears off you will have to give an honest to goodness sound quality comparison, as it seems as though you liked the 1066 sonically.

My thoughts exaclty. Sonically it's very important to me. History to with me and Integra/Onkyo products is the fact I don't care for there sound quality. Now these products where all receivers running different kinds of speakers. I'm still looking forward to this compare.

[dmcgowan]

Did someone turn on auto-scepticism on this thread

[Blindamood]

Did someone turn on auto-scepticism on this thread

Well, it IS the Rotel forum, you know...

[soundhound]

Did someone turn on auto-scepticism on this thread

Mine is greyed out, all though I have the sarcasm switch option (which is off right now) ......... :W

[Ron Reda]

***Note, this is the review I posted on other boards. I was going to tailor the main review to fit the Rotel board, but wanted to convey my true feelings about the Integra.***

Well, I got the Integra set up last night. I finished setting up around 1AM, but was up until 4AM putting it through it's initial paces. Some first impressions:

The simplicity and ease of set up - I have to say, at first I was a little bit overwhelmed by all of things this piece can do, but once I got everything hooked up, the set up was a breeze. Everything is so logically laid out, it was refreshing. It seemed like they actually gave a lot of thought into how the menus were grouped and how they flowed, etc. Very well done. I'll also mention that I really liked the supplied remote. It too was laid out very well and easily trumps some of the other "universal" offerings I've used in the past from Rotel (AWFUL remote), Denon (better than Rotel, but still very cluttered) and Yamaha.


Flexibility and options - As well done as the set up was, I was equally impressed with how many options are available to tailor the parameters towards your liking. From the listening modes to the various inputs, there seems like there's no preference the Integra can't accommodate. One unforgivable omission: as I've previously mentioned in this thread, I find it pretty much ridiculous that there is only one sub out on this piece. My 6 year old Rotel even had 2 sub outs. I'm just not sure how a piece like this, with it's myriad of inputs of every conceivable sort, could not have one. I mean, come on Integra...not only is there plenty of room for just one more input jack, but you could have omitted a lesser user input or feature and provided this. You would think that in this day and age, they would realize that someone buying a piece of gear like this would be running 2 subs. Oh well, I'll buy the Y-splitter, but I just think that after spending $1600, I should be set and wouldn't have to make any other purchases (I already had plenty of cabling) to set my system up to my liking.

Video - I went the pass-through route, so nothing really to report here other than that there seems to be no degradation to the video signal at all, although it is a nice option to have the capability to tailor the video realm for your various sources.

2-channel analog audio - Being an audio guy, this is where I had the most trepidation going in. Just how well would the Integra stand up to my long time Rotel mainstay? Disclaimer: I was so eager to get the unit set up, that I simply plugged in the (very) rudimentary distance settings (other speakers' relation to the speaker farthest away vs. the Integra's 1/5 of a foot increments; 10.2, 10.4, etc.) from my Rotel into the Integra just to get the party started. I did however pull out the Radio Shack SPL meter to make sure all channels were on an even kiel. Later on today, I'll take actual measurements or just let the Audyssey process run and see what happens. The first thing I tried was the analog CD input accepting a signal from a CD transport digitally feeding an outboard DAC which runs analog to the Integra. I chose "Harder to Breathe" from Maroon 5's first album as I not only know exactly how this track is supposed to sound, but I also wanted to hear how wide of a soundstage the Integra threw as well as measure it's bass prowess. Using the "stereo" listening mode, after hitting play I was initially a bit disappointed. The details in the intro to the song weren't presented in the manner that the Rotel did. The Rotel seemed to pull them from the background and (not unrealistically) shine a light on them, allowing them to easily be heard. The bass was also a bit of a letdown. It seemed a lot more shy than my previous pre/pro. At that point, I walked over to the sub to see what it was doing and noticed that it was putting out some sound. I guess "stereo" is the 2 channel mode that does actually go through some processing and after setting it to "direct," I got no bass from my sub. After setting it to direct, I felt like I enjoyed the sound a little bit more. Not as much as I did with the Rotel, but a little bit more than before. Please keep in mind that at that point the unit had only been on a short time (say 45 minutes) and the innards hadn't really gotten to know each other just yet (AKA burn-in), so I'm reserving my judgment on the analog input's sound until (a) things burn-in a bit longer and (b) I set up the Integra correctly using the true distances. I'm also going to try running the upsampled signal from my DAC digital coax out (vs. analog) to the Integra to see if I can notice a difference.

***Addendum - I feel compelled to add this right now. In hopes that all the circuitry would gel overnight, I left the unit on (not standby) as I had always done with the Rotel. I began typing this when I woke up, so I hadn't had a chance to re-listen to some 2-channel stuff since last night. In the middle of typing this, I figured I'd head down to the HT to turn on the DirecTV box, set it to Dolby Digital EX and let the signal flow through it some more. While down there, I decided to slap some Dave Matthews Band "Crash" in the CD player. Although I wanted to, I hadn't listened to this last night due to how late it was. This is another CD (more so than the aforementioned Maroon 5 album) with which I am totally familiar with. Being a HUGE DMB fan, I've listened to this CD innumerable times and therefore know every nuance in this album...every note, piece of percussion, guitar fret noise, everything is burned into my psyche and even my soul. I was not prepared for what I heard. Last night, things just didn't sound "right." Not certain if it was just hearing something other than my trusty Rotel in my system (I almost felt like I was cheating on it with another pre/pro...I know, pretty strange but that's how it felt after 6 years with the Rotel), I can only describe the sound as slightly veiled in comparison to the very open sound I was accustomed to. I perhaps would even say a tad compressed in terms of the soundstage as compared to the width that the Rotel threw. That was all about to change. I was floored. I don't know if it was leaving the unit on all night, the fact that I really didn't push it all that hard in terms of volume last night for fear of waking my wife or at the very least , the change in CDs, but things were indeed different. Gone was the narrowness (?) of the soundstage. It widened significantly. To my ears, the soundstage was still a bit compressed, but I felt confident that it would open up some in the coming days. The speakers sprung to life with the jazz groove of "#41." The textures hidden in the background that I am so intimately familiar with were immediately audible. In fact, to use a common review cliché, I had heard things in the song that even I hadn't heard before. I was truly listening "into" the song. WOW. My intent was to listen to a few measures before getting back to work (on a snowy Saturday...in Georgia???). So much for that. I sat through that track and the next track, "Say Goodbye." The fluid, circular drumming in the intro of "Say Goodbye" has always proved to be great demo material for friends, but it also is a measurement tool to hear how well a source can convey the sound of an expansive drum set and a ridiculous about of toms of every shape and size being played so fast, so well. At the height of the intro, just prior to the point when Carter Beauford slams into the song proper, he executes an amazing drum roll that can sound compressed at high volumes on lesser systems not up to the challenge. Not so here. The Integra conveyed every drum hit perfectly. I was now sitting in front of the drum set. I got chills, goose bumps, my hair stood up on end and (without sounding completely melodramatic and over the top) a tad choked up in the sense that the Integra brought me THAT close to the music. It really touched my music-loving soul***

Multichannel digital audio - As expected, this is where the Integra really shined. It really is the digital powerhouse that everyone as said. I won't go into it's prowess in this realm too much because we all know that's what the Integra was made for. It easily handled the sound from my DirecTV H20 box (optical digital), my Denon 2910 universal player (digital coax out & multichannel analog L/R out for SACD/DVD-A) and my PS3 (HDMI). In fact, where I was most impressed in this regard was the processing of the uncompressed Blu-Ray PCM signal from the PS3. It handled everything with aplomb. The disc that really shone was the Blu-Ray of Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds "Live at Radio City." When listening to the Dolby TrueHD track, I felt like they were playing right in front of me. I heard all of Tim's slide and delay effects, as well as the fret noise/buzz and all of Dave's percussive nuances in his playing. Superb. If you like good music and are even remotely a fan of DMB or Dave himself, run out and get this disc. It's a must-have for any music lover and is spectacular on Blu-Ray, audio and video-wise.

There's lots more to say, but I'm about spent for right now. I'll be posting some more comments/observations later after I get a chance to really dial things in a bit more. I'm sure the Integra will only get that much better in the coming days. I'm gonna wear this thing out. So as you can tell, I'm enthralled with this piece. For $1600, it is THE steal of the year in HT right now, even in the infancy of 2008. It's just that good. Minor quibbles aside [some latency in accessing the menus via HDMI when viewing another source (only 1-2 seconds, no biggie at all), some minor lip sync issues when leaving an HD broadcast to go to a SD commercial, no way to watch TV while listening to another source (at least I haven't found a way...if anyone knows how to, please enlighten me!)] and my annoyance of the lack of a 2nd sub output, one can easily look past these things and simply enjoy the Integra for what it is, a rare overachiever and one hell of a pre/pro for even $1,000 more. Very well done, Integra.

Now it's just a question of finding a good home for my venerable Rotel piece. After 6 years of service, it deserves it. I almost feel bad walking by it as it sits on top of the huge empty Integra box. It's almost as if it's sulking. :cry: I'm not writing Rotel off for good by any stretch of the imagination. When it comes time to upgrade to a new pre/pro in the hopefully distant future, I'll once again give Rotel a shot at taking my money (provided their offerings are current and up-to-date). For now, I've very happy with my purchase.

[soundhound]

Well written Ron.

[Ron Reda]

Thanks, soundhound!

[Regnad]

Ron, have you tried listening to 2-channel via the multi-inputs?

[Ron Reda]

Ron, have you tried listening to 2-channel via the multi-inputs?

Regnad,

Well, I did, but not with my CD player (it's running inot the analog CD input)...it was with my Denon universal player through the multi-ins for SACD. It sound pretty dang good last night, but I've gotta re-listen today now that I have everything set up correctly.

[HiRez]

As a proud owner of a RSP-1098 but wanting full HDMI 1.2/3 audio implementation(with or without video scaling), I am going thru' the "should I give up and switch" phase.
IMHO Rotel should offer an upgrade path to the owners of its flagship product as an investment protection.
Also, the '1098 owners out there, wouldn't you rather spend your $$$ on upgrade than acquiring Integra ?
I am still hoping Rotel will come up with a new DSP board and/or adjunct processor for the 1098.

Regards

[Dmantis]

Ron,
talk to me. I read and re read your review(well done man). I'm on the fence with it. I'm another guy who uses his system for 2 things, Ht and 2 channel/multichannel. This preamp is an Integra and I have had nothing but bad luck with there products. In the sound department. I have never been impressed.
Now trying to find a preamp that does what I want it to do sticks to find.This one got me all excitied except the name on the front for me personal reasons. Now comparing it to the rsp 1066 is a huge deal for me. I don't have the ability to do it myself or I would.
If you wouldn't mind giving it a few more days of break in and review it again. It's this or a Pioneer Elite receiver as a preamp. I'd rather not go that way but I will if I can't find what I want.
I have Ps3 for Blue and 360 for HD DVD. I need a preamp with the ability to decode the audio which the rsp1069 can't(I'm really killed on that 2 or I would already own it).

thanks so much for the review so far.

[TommyV]

Dmantis, none of the equipment you listed will bitstream the new audio codecs. Unless you are planning on getting a new Blu-ray and HD DVD player, the 1069 would work fine with those.

[Ron Reda]

Dmantis, none of the equipment you listed will bitstream the new audio codecs. Unless you are planning on getting a new Blu-ray and HD DVD player, the 1069 would work fine with those.

Tommy, doesn't the PS3 internally decode Dolby TrueHD? I also heard through the rumor mill that DTS-MA is on the way with the next firmware release.