Has Rotel lost their way?

[eelco74]

I have owned a RSP-1068 and now a RSP-1098. Both of them were dead quiet. The 1098 is the better one. But it is in no way noisy.

I will only ever upgrade my 1098 if the make a 15-series version of it.

[Mikael]

I heard the new RSP1570 the other day, and I am not impressed with it in bypass mode, it's treble is very bright and in your face. It lacks the warm/neutral sound the RSP1098 have, so I will keep my RSP1098 and get 2 more RB1072 and go for surround,I got the first of my 2 new RB1072 a week a go, and the last one is comming one of these days.

[lvhung]

I have owned a RSP-1068 and now a RSP-1098. Both of them were dead quiet. The 1098 is the better one. But it is in no way noisy.

I will only ever upgrade my 1098 if the make a 15-series version of it.

exellent idea
:T
I heard Nuforce AVP 17 and Parasound halo C2
they were more quiet and give you much more detailed than
1098
but 1098 is very dynamic in movies

[maxwebster]

I heard the new RSP1570 the other day, and I am not impressed with it in bypass mode, it's treble is very bright and in your face. It lacks the warm/neutral sound the RSP1098 have, so I will keep my RSP1098 and get 2 more RB1072 and go for surround,I got the first of my 2 new RB1072 a week a go, and the last one is comming one of these days.

Generally, a preamp either colours (warm) the sound or not (neutral).

I have heard owners of the 1570 mention "harder" and "sharper" treble - they weren't complaining. This could be the preamp "adding" treble, but I doubt it. I recently upgraded my CD player and am finding the 1570's preamp analog bypass very pleasant.

Personally, I prefer a neutral sounding preamp, and would rather my speaker/room provide the desired colour/warmth.

Of course, YMMV

[daspaceman]

I can confirm what is said on the first post. I find my rotel rsp-1069 very good for HT sound, but very lacking in 2 channel playback. In fact I`ve just posted a question relating to this. Now, after searching on this forum i`ve came against this post to confirm what I have asked!

[MickeyVee]

Earlier this year I went from the 1067 to the 1560. I have to say that the 1560 is smoother throughout the mids and highs and punchier on the bottom end.
I'm running Martin Logan speakers and believe me, the reveal all of the flaws. I found the 1067 a bit harsh in the mid-highs and that's pretty much gone with the 1560. Imaging, depth and detail are pretty much the same.

I do love 2 channel so I went with an outboard PS Audio III DAC and that made another world of difference. The trick is to run it in Bypass mode.. The benefit of 2 chan stereo is that the subwoofer kicks in. Depending on the music, I'll switch between the two.
BTW, I have the 1572 driving the Logan's and the AVR driving the centre and rears. (My comparisons are based on the listening before I added the external amp.)

I do have to say that AV performance is excellent but I'm still looking for better 2 channel. I can either introduce a separate pre-amp (fell in love with the Jeff Rowland Capri..) or do something different..

If I end up with the cash to upgrade, I may dump the 1560 and go for the Anthem Statement D2v and add a 1575.. or add the Capri to the system..
Overall, I'm pretty happy with the system and have no real urge to upgrade in the near future.

Back to the original question, has Rotel lost it? I don't think so. The 1570 is a nice, step up from the 1067. The 1572 is a fabulous amp and I did audition Bryston and a few other before I purchased it. Rotel needs to improve 2 chan while introducing a better interface and possibly add room correction.
My 2 cents worth.

[Opus007]

For awhile I had come to the conclusion that maybe Rotel had lost thier way.When I had the RSX 1057 I could not understand why Rotel had not added audio over HDMI.I must admit though that the 1057 is a sweet sounding receiver.When I got my 1069 and spent months trying to get it sound good and not knowing that I had a defective unit I was highly disappointed.When Rotel sent me a new (not used) 1069 and I heard for the first time what the 1069 was capable of... I was ecstatic.Yes there is a upscaling problem and needed a bypass board but a minor defect to me as I did not buy it to upscale.No it does not decode the HD codecs but using MPCM works for me.Yes there is a issue with the MPCM but Rotel is working on it and there is a work around.Even with these few issues the 1069 met and surpasses all of expectations and wants.
I have often wondered why Rotel did not offer room correction and lots of bells and whistles.Well after watching the Emotiva thread I understand this a lot better.The more you put in does not equal a better more reliable unit.
What I really like about Rotel is the sound I get.Yes speakers make a difference but the Rotel gear I have matches my speakers perfectly.
I am currently saving for the new Rotel Cd player.I am sure it will be another good addition to my system.Of course there is better out there but for me and my budget Rotel is here to stay. :T