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Hi to all you Rotel members, this is my first post here. After years of passing over Rotel for other brands, I finally decided to give it a try. I have owned those three units for over a month now, and I must say I regret not doing it before.
I have been in search for a satisfying two channel amp and preamp for the HT system for awhile. Its the HT system, but it mainly does stereo duty. When I do watch a movie, the Oppo 105 does the processing and a Nad c245bee does the other three channels. Anyway, I have had many other brands in there, of all price ranges, but could never get the right results sound wise.
Well, as you all probably know, Best Buy started carrying Rotel recently. This gave me a chance to actually see and hear the units live. After couple trips there I decided to buy the RC 1570 preamp and take it home for a try. By this time I was so fedup with other preamps, that I was down to a passive driving a Nad c 275bee amp. The amp was nice, but the combination sound was clean and detailed, but very weak bottom end.
So I hooked up the RC 1570 with the big Nad, all the reviews I had read about this Nad before I got it, was that it was bass heavy, but nothing I did could prove that, not even the RC 1570. It also was clean and detailed but bass shy.
I liked the RC 1570, although I really didn't need a preamp with a DAC, I had all the DAC I needed in the OPPO. I liked the clean look and presentation it had, so if it did not work out in the HT system, I could use it in my other tube system that could use a new DAC to upgrade the old Denon CDP. While all this is in the works, I spot a mint condition RC 1580 for sale on Audiogon. Now I am thinking that would be better for the HT system, no DAC, better HT bypass. So I watch the add for a week trying to decide. I had actually checked out that RC 1580 model a long time ago, but was turned off by the extra row of useless recording buttons.
Anyway, while stalking the one on Audiogon, the Nad amp develops a problem in one channel, so I decide to return it, and of course where do I end up, back at Best Buy, not for the RB 1552, but the 1582MKll.
I figured it would be the prefect match for the RC 1570 so why not try it. Few days later it came in and I took it home, let it burn in for a few more days.
In the mean time I finally made a offer on the mint RC 1580, the guy accepts, tries to sell me the matching CD player, but I didn't need it.
I start listening to the RC 1570 and RB 1582MKll combo more and more. I am not that impressed, the 200wpc amp sounds like 50wpc. clean and detailed, but very lean bottom end, no umph. I swap cables but still unimpressive.
In another few days the RC 1580 arrives, I almost just took it straight to the tube room without trying it in the HT, as I did not think it could be any better than the new model RC 1570 with the RB 1582 amp.
Was I wrong, I hooked it up with the RB 1582MKll and the amp came to life. It suddenly sounded like a 200wpc amp.
It was not only clean and detailed, but had a strong bottom end, very full body sound all around. This is with the tone controls bypass, same as with the 1570.
I must say the 1570 is nice , the DAC is nice, the balanced in and out is nice, the face plate is nice and uncluttered, but the 1580 just blows it away with performance. It seems to be a better match for the RB 1582 MKll.
Rotel should have improved that model instead of doing the 1570 just to add a DAC and balanced connections.
Who needs a Dac in every box, and the balanced does not sound any better than the unbalanced RCAs.
The 1580 is a solid preamp, I looked inside, very good build quality, a massive power supply with point to point wiring.
They could have just get rid of the unused tape features, add the balanced connections, and clean up the front panel. Add a dimer for the lights, and a better remote. They would have a real winner.
Couldn't you guys tell them all this before they stopped making it.
I will keep the 1570 in the tube system, for some reason it sounds pretty good in there, not sure why yet.
The amp is very nice, its a keeper, I also looked inside and add some soundcoat damping as I did with the preamps.
It looks very impressive inside, very well built. The only gripe there is the bright light, but they do give a sticker to cover it, come on, even my Panamax has a three stage dimmer.
Well that's it for my first post, kind of long but all my research could not come up with much about these models, except the usual magazine write-ups that all say the same things. So I hope this helps the next guy sitting on the fence trying to decide on Rotel.
AB.
I have been in search for a satisfying two channel amp and preamp for the HT system for awhile. Its the HT system, but it mainly does stereo duty. When I do watch a movie, the Oppo 105 does the processing and a Nad c245bee does the other three channels. Anyway, I have had many other brands in there, of all price ranges, but could never get the right results sound wise.
Well, as you all probably know, Best Buy started carrying Rotel recently. This gave me a chance to actually see and hear the units live. After couple trips there I decided to buy the RC 1570 preamp and take it home for a try. By this time I was so fedup with other preamps, that I was down to a passive driving a Nad c 275bee amp. The amp was nice, but the combination sound was clean and detailed, but very weak bottom end.
So I hooked up the RC 1570 with the big Nad, all the reviews I had read about this Nad before I got it, was that it was bass heavy, but nothing I did could prove that, not even the RC 1570. It also was clean and detailed but bass shy.
I liked the RC 1570, although I really didn't need a preamp with a DAC, I had all the DAC I needed in the OPPO. I liked the clean look and presentation it had, so if it did not work out in the HT system, I could use it in my other tube system that could use a new DAC to upgrade the old Denon CDP. While all this is in the works, I spot a mint condition RC 1580 for sale on Audiogon. Now I am thinking that would be better for the HT system, no DAC, better HT bypass. So I watch the add for a week trying to decide. I had actually checked out that RC 1580 model a long time ago, but was turned off by the extra row of useless recording buttons.
Anyway, while stalking the one on Audiogon, the Nad amp develops a problem in one channel, so I decide to return it, and of course where do I end up, back at Best Buy, not for the RB 1552, but the 1582MKll.
I figured it would be the prefect match for the RC 1570 so why not try it. Few days later it came in and I took it home, let it burn in for a few more days.
In the mean time I finally made a offer on the mint RC 1580, the guy accepts, tries to sell me the matching CD player, but I didn't need it.
I start listening to the RC 1570 and RB 1582MKll combo more and more. I am not that impressed, the 200wpc amp sounds like 50wpc. clean and detailed, but very lean bottom end, no umph. I swap cables but still unimpressive.
In another few days the RC 1580 arrives, I almost just took it straight to the tube room without trying it in the HT, as I did not think it could be any better than the new model RC 1570 with the RB 1582 amp.
Was I wrong, I hooked it up with the RB 1582MKll and the amp came to life. It suddenly sounded like a 200wpc amp.
It was not only clean and detailed, but had a strong bottom end, very full body sound all around. This is with the tone controls bypass, same as with the 1570.
I must say the 1570 is nice , the DAC is nice, the balanced in and out is nice, the face plate is nice and uncluttered, but the 1580 just blows it away with performance. It seems to be a better match for the RB 1582 MKll.
Rotel should have improved that model instead of doing the 1570 just to add a DAC and balanced connections.
Who needs a Dac in every box, and the balanced does not sound any better than the unbalanced RCAs.
The 1580 is a solid preamp, I looked inside, very good build quality, a massive power supply with point to point wiring.
They could have just get rid of the unused tape features, add the balanced connections, and clean up the front panel. Add a dimer for the lights, and a better remote. They would have a real winner.
Couldn't you guys tell them all this before they stopped making it.
I will keep the 1570 in the tube system, for some reason it sounds pretty good in there, not sure why yet.
The amp is very nice, its a keeper, I also looked inside and add some soundcoat damping as I did with the preamps.
It looks very impressive inside, very well built. The only gripe there is the bright light, but they do give a sticker to cover it, come on, even my Panamax has a three stage dimmer.
Well that's it for my first post, kind of long but all my research could not come up with much about these models, except the usual magazine write-ups that all say the same things. So I hope this helps the next guy sitting on the fence trying to decide on Rotel.
AB.
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