Repleacement options for RSP-1098?

**Audio_ElF** · 14 March 2011, 07:27 Monday

You could add a little 6" screen via composite output... Not as neat as the inbuilt one on the RSP1098 I admit.

Not sure if there's any details of availability; but the RSP1580 is more of a replacement for the RSP1098.

Other alternatives could be NAD T175AV (HD version) or the newly announces T187. NAD have created a modular design and have made good on the promise of upgrades as technology develops.

RE AV7005 vs RSP1570 I think a lot depends on your requirements? Are you using analogue sources (via bypass) or purely digital sources? What is your split in music vs movies?

Eloise

**chanlon** · 14 March 2011, 08:24 Monday

The 1570 sounds every bit as good (or better) than the 1098 imo.

However, if I was planning on connecting 1 HDMI cable to the unit from my DVD/CD player for processing duties, I'm stop right there. Look at the Marantz.
The clipped audio issue that is NOT resolvable using HDMI is enough for me to look elsewhere.

HOWEVER, if you don't mind using a digital co-ax/optical connection with the HDMI cable, its a different story. The Rotel is very capable.

**madmac** · 14 March 2011, 09:51 Monday

The audio delay issues with the Rotel are well documented in this forum. However, if you can live with that delay, the Rotel will no doubt outperform the Marantz sound wise.

**Bostonears** · 14 March 2011, 12:53 Monday

Originally posted by madmac

...the Rotel will no doubt outperform the Marantz sound wise.

On what do you base this assumption? Have you actually heard both?

**chanlon** · 14 March 2011, 16:45 Monday

I'm not as confident that there is no doubt the Rotel will outperform the Marantz sound wise.

In the recent edition (April 11) of Home Theater Magazine, Michael Fremer reviews the Marantz AV7005. If you guys read this magazine, you'd know he gave the 1570 a glowing sonic review in November. In this Marantz review he states "I'd say the Marantz and the Rotel are in the same high-echelon sonic league."
He didn't have both at the same time however. This is the same guy that had no issue stating he didn't like the sound of the RMB-1575 but said that "the reasonablly priced RSP-1570 sounded great." Nov 2010 Home Theater Magazine.

Anyways, my point being, don't count out the Marantz. It appears to be a nice processor for $1499 US LIST. And....the Rotel, NOT including the well documented HDMI audio delay issues, is a very nice piece as well at $2199 US list. Just my 2 cents from a long time Rotel supporter.

There is a lot of reasonable priced, great sounding gear to be heard at the $2K mark.

**Bostonears** · 14 March 2011, 18:16 Monday

I know this is Club Rotel, so people here might not want to hear too much about the competition. But here goes anyway...

The Marantz AV7005 is based on the preamp/processor section in the Denon AVR-3311CI receiver. (Marantz and Denon are both owned by the same parent company.) Denon's higher line receiver, the AVR-4311CI, has some upgraded parts and extra features, most notably Audyssey's latest MultEQ XT32 room correction, as opposed to the regular MultEQ XT used in the AV7005 and 3311, vs. no room correction in Rotel. (I'm not trying to start a debate about the value of room correction. I'm merely noting what each piece has.)

The Denon AVR-4311CI also includes a "preamp mode" that disconnects the receiver's internal amps. It lists for $1999. Used solely as a preamp/processor, it's probably closer competition to the Rotel 1570 than the Marantz AV7005 is.

**madmac** · 15 March 2011, 09:12 Tuesday

I have heard all kinds of amps and receivers. I can't say anything about the models in question here because I have not heard them. Most equipment by a given mfr. however tend to have similar sound qualities.

Marantz, Denon, and Yamaha are all entry to mid level pieces of equipment. I had a higher end Yamaha amp for years and when I changed to Rotel, I simply could not believe the sonic difference!! It was like someone removed a filter that I didn't know was there. After 10yrs of listening to my music with the Yamaha, It was like hearing my music for the first time. And.....Your talking to a guy that thought that amps really didn't make that much of a difference in sound compared to speakers let's say!!.

Rotel is in a class all it's own and in most cases, will outperform all of the above Mfr's easily. That's why they tend to cost more too. You basically get what you pay for in this case. The Yamaha powered my speakers and sounded reasonably nice. My current Rotel destroys my speakers and they come alive !!!!.... It provides power, dynamic range and clarity that my Yamaha did not even come close to touching. I didn't even need an A/B comparison to hear the difference. When I hooked up my Rotel it basically blew my head off!!.

**whmacs** · 15 March 2011, 21:38 Tuesday

Originally posted by whmacs

Hi Guys,
I've had my Rotel RSP-1098 for 7 years now. It has served me very well. I'm moving to an all HDMI setup and contemplating replacing the RSP-1098 with a new HDMI capable processor. I would keep my RMB-1075 and RB-1070 power amps (Current Equipment) .....

Hi Guys,
I really appreciate all the information. I've read both the RSP1570 and AV-7005 reviews in the Home Theater magazine and both units get glowing reviews (the reviewer didn't seem so keen on the Rotel iCE amp however).

Where I'm struggling is the the RSP-1570 seems more of a replacement for the RSP-1068, not the RSP-1098. This may be justified as Rotel seem to be close to releasing the RSP-1580 in the next couple of months. The RSP-1580 seems like a direct replacement for the RSP-1098. Here is a link to the brochure for the RSP-1580:
Rotel RSP-1580 Brochure

cheers,
Stephen

**Bostonears** · 16 March 2011, 08:07 Wednesday

Originally posted by madmac

I have heard all kinds of amps and receivers. I can't say anything about the models in question here because I have not heard them. Most equipment by a given mfr. however tend to have similar sound qualities.

Marantz, Denon, and Yamaha are all entry to mid level pieces of equipment. I had a higher end Yamaha amp for years and when I changed to Rotel, I simply could not believe the sonic difference!! It was like someone removed a filter that I didn't know was there. After 10yrs of listening to my music with the Yamaha, It was like hearing my music for the first time. And.....Your talking to a guy that thought that amps really didn't make that much of a difference in sound compared to speakers let's say!!.

Rotel is in a class all it's own and in most cases, will outperform all of the above Mfr's easily. That's why they tend to cost more too. You basically get what you pay for in this case. The Yamaha powered my speakers and sounded reasonably nice. My current Rotel destroys my speakers and they come alive !!!!.... It provides power, dynamic range and clarity that my Yamaha did not even come close to touching. I didn't even need an A/B comparison to hear the difference. When I hooked up my Rotel it basically blew my head off!!.

Your comments might be correct in a generic sense, but don't really apply when people are discussing specific models. I don't doubt that Rotel amplifiers probably sound better than most of the amplifiers from Yamaha or several other major Japanese brands. But even lowly Yamaha has made some incredibly sounding amps over the years, such as the MX1000 and MX-10000. And the Marantz "Reference Series" amps could certainly go head-to-head against comparable amps from Rotel.

Nevertheless, the OP of this thread was asking about home theater preamp/processors, not amplifiers. I have yet to see (or hear) ANY evidence that Rotel's current model home theater preamp/processors sound better than the current top-of-the-line preamp/processors (or preamp/processor sections of receivers when used to drive outboard amps) from those other major brands.

**madmac** · 16 March 2011, 08:48 Wednesday

@Bostonears.......True enough about the Preamp/processor comment. From a processor point of view, the differences are probably less between the various mfr's. However, I would expect a trickle down effect on all Rotel products in regards to overall performance and sound quality. They put better components into their products (that cost more) that produce better results and are more 'music' driven in their pursuits than the above mfr's.

**sarsi** · 29 April 2011, 23:52 Friday

Like many of the folks here, I am struggling to keep my RSP1098/RMB1095 up to date with the new codec and hdmi, though I upgraded my RSP1098 with a hdmi module but it is really functioning as a separate switch module without any audio integration, i.e. it does not pass any audio to the av SSP. With Rotel lack of any Bluray player that provide a 7.1 output for the new av codec to keep my system with the new lossless audio, it would be a matter of time I will have to make the hard decision and move out of Rotel totally. Quite sad but I think Rotel are losing it.

I have always own another home theater system, apart from the Rotel setup in my living room, in my smaller second room which we make it into a nice cosy family room. The setup has always been a Marantz system, I have recently replaced the aging Marantz SR9300 with the new Marantz SR7005 (which the preamp is quite identical to AV7005 except for the XLR pre-out).

What can I said, the new Marantz is just simply amazing,
1. It allows bi-amping with the spare rear center surround if you are using it in a 5.1 setup.
2. Provides video upscaling to 1080p, now my normal TV program look almost like HD

.
3. There are two HDMI out, i.e. very useful if you have a TV and a projector in your setup.
4. All HDMIs are v1.4a, i.e. route 3D and Audio Return Channel from my Sony NX710. ARC is particularly useful when you are running the internet TV apps of the Sony LCD such as youtube. It actually works quite seamlessly, the receiver will switch from SAT input to TV input when the ARC is activated, and when you done with the internet apps and return to cable programme, the amp will just switch itself back to SAT input.
5. I am now down to only all HDMI connections for my Bluray, HD Cable set top box and PS3 (my 3D player) to the SR7003, doing away with all the coax digital, video/audio interconnects (a ton of those cables connection) and multi-channel connection. Very clean setup.
6. Really impress when I am able to playback SACD multi-channel audio via my HDMI connection on the AV receiver from my early version of PS3 that supports SACD playback. Never able to do that before

7. I kept a component connection from my old Pioneer HDD DVR to the amp, however, the output will be upscaled and output through the single HDMI connection to the TV.
I believe the amp can do lot more.

So maybe when the time come, I will replace the RSP1098/RMB1095 with a future AV8006 Pre/Power (or the equivalent replacement of AV8003)

Repleacement options for RSP-1098?

Repleacement options for RSP-1098?

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