Rotel RSP Surround Pre/Pro 1582

[RoMan]

Hi all,

I've just seen this new pre/pro released by Rotel a couple of days ago. I understand this past March/April it was released. I've looked for any reviews but came up empty. Does anyone know of any reviews on this new pre/pro they can share? It looks like a really nice piece of gear. It doesn't have Dolby Atmos or DTS: X but I'm not in a hurry for these codecs anyways right now. There is not enough hardware yet so I think its a good move by Rotel to hold off and have a see what happens approach. Anyways if anyone in the forum can share their experience if they own one that would be great or a link to any reviews on this fine looking piece of gear. Thanks and much appreciated all.

RoMan
:T

[Audio_ElF]

I'm not sure if anyone has one yet. Although it was first slated to be available earlier in the year, it's only been available for the last month or so (hence no reviews yet).

[RoMan]

Thanks Audio_EIF..ok that makes perfect sense as to why no reviews. When I seen released in March/April 2015 I automatically figured it was a firm date. Ok, I'll keep a lookout for a review then..thanks again.

RoMan

[RoMan]

Just to add to this thread..is any Rotel forum members interested in purchasing this surround processor in the future? Anyone have any thoughts on the latest release from Rotel?

RoMan

[Mikael]

Yes I have ordered mine a mont ago. Waiting for it. getting it in January.

[sunebak]

I preordeed the RSP 1582 back in May 2015, when i ordered the RMB 1585 amplifier as well. I have been asking eagerly for the delivery all along. My dealer is having a lot shipped to Denmark by flight. I checked with them this week and the reply was, that they had passed through in London last Friday, and that they can arrive anytime now. Christmas may come early this year

[RoMan]

Congratulations sunebak and Mikael. Audio/video bliss will be coming soon to both. Very nice. Awesome. Let us know what you think once it is all setup and calibrated.

RoMan

[Mikael]

Hi SuneBak
do you have your new toy yet?

[mpauline]

I am very curious to hear someones review on here as I have had three Rotel processors . This time I went with a Marantz because I wanted the new codecs. I miss the Rotel sound though and kind of have buyers remorse.

[RoMan]

I hear ya mpauline about buyers remorse..I bought an Onkyo receiver as a pre/pro with Rotel amps mind you but I could hear the difference this Onkyo hooked up to these amps made and I immediately sold the Onkyo and bought the RSP 1570 preamp and I was back let me tell ya!! haha..

[JDH]

I own a Rotel RSP-1572, I'll probably defer the upgrade until Rotel can offer the current codecs, It would of been a pretty easy decision to upgrade if they were included in the RSP-1582. I'm not desperate to upgrade so I guess I'll wait to these codecs filter down to the Rotel pre/pros and suitable movies are available to utilise them.

There was talk in previous posts that a future firmware upgrade would allow the latest codecs but this seems unlikely considering the analogue outputs are not supported, ie. Missing on the back of the RSP-1582, happy to be proven wrong though.

JDH

[Patrick Butler]

Hi JDH,

The RSP-1582 would need a different DSP in order to run 3D audio. Those formats are only really relevant if you are planning on installing speakers in or on your ceiling.

For most consumers, the RSP-1582 is a pretty massive increase in performance for mainstream codecs, such as Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD.

Regards,

Patrick Butler
B&W Group North America

I own a Rotel RSP-1572, I'll probably defer the upgrade until Rotel can offer the current codecs, It would of been a pretty easy decision to upgrade if they were included in the RSP-1582. I'm not desperate to upgrade so I guess I'll wait to these codecs filter down to the Rotel pre/pros and suitable movies are available to utilise them.

There was talk in previous posts that a future firmware upgrade would allow the latest codecs but this seems unlikely considering the analogue outputs are not supported, ie. Missing on the back of the RSP-1582, happy to be proven wrong though.

JDH

[JDH]

I agree that sound performance of existing codec would be better, as I have 4 spare channels available in my multi channal power amp and easy access to my ceiling I was hoping to have the option to try the new codecs. Not the end of the world though and will probably sit on the fence for a bit longer in terms of an upgrade. I have a seperate 2ch pre-amp for music and upgrade in surround sound quality for existing codec is good upgrade but not all I was hoping to upgrade too.

Look forward to reviews and demo of the RSP-1582 though and see if it's still worth the upgrade to me without the latest Codecs.

JDH

Hi JDH,
The RSP-1582 would need a different DSP in order to run 3D audio. Those formats are only really relevant if you are planning on installing speakers in or on your ceiling.

For most consumers, the RSP-1582 is a pretty massive increase in performance for mainstream codecs, such as Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD.

Regards,

Patrick Butler
B&W Group North America

[sunebak]

Hi Mikael, yes I got it I have it installed and loosely calibrated at this point. I will try to make a summary of my experiences and a few pictures of my setup tomorrow. For now I can say that I am very pleased and impressed.

[RoMan]

Congratulations sunebak..looking forward to your full review of this beauty. In your review can you add a piece if you can assign an hdmi video input to a source component(i.e- computer) from the bluetooth/usb input? Also I'm curious to know with the usb in port in the back, can you listen to music files in multichannel music mode( i.e- 7 channel music mode) using the 6 Wolfson DACs? As of right now, I use a RDD 1580 dac and I can only use it in 2 channel bypass mode. Thanks in advance.

RoMan

[sunebak]

Thanks RoMan, I haven't had the chance to try out the USB inputs yet. Maybe someone technically capable like Patrick Butler can answer your questions. Listening to Tidal through the OPPO, i can freely chose if i want to play it 2 channel, multi channel or downmix.

[sunebak]

Here is a short amateur review of the RSP 1582 Rotel Surround Processor and a few words on my experiences.

At first i would like to say that i am by no means any home theather expert. I just like quality and is affraid to spend money to get it. I have not owned or heard different rotel equipment before, so i have no possibility for making such a comparison, but i can give a short update on my hometheater experiences and try to give some comments on the unit, that i have received recently.

My initial setup was purchased in 2006:

I was running a 5.1 setup and had chosen to go with:

B&W 803S Front
B&W HTM4 Center
B&W SCM S Back
B&W ASW 825 Subwoofer

The speakers were powered with a Denon AVC-A11XV surround receiver (10 x 140W 2 channels driven) and a Denon 3910 DVD player.

I had an Infocus IN76 projector with 720p resolution and a Lissau 92’’ projector screen. The projector died on my after 6 years and was exchanged for a Sony HW30ES.

I really had nothing to compare the performance with, so i a kind of went along with this setup for a number of year.

Two years ago a friend of mine argued that my B&W speakers would benefit from a lot more power, and that it was a shame, just firing them up with a receiver. Also he argued, that it would probably be a good time to invest in a blueray player, in order to run 1024p and find a way to decode the latest surround sound formats.

He had some points and i decided to get started upgrading. The problem were, that nowadays, it is hard to find a view/listning room, where one can try out the new gear.

The first thing i did, was to look for an upgrade of the Denon DVD to a blueray player. Reading some reviews, i was convinced to go with the latest OPPO player. Making sure that there were no upgrades on the way, i went with the OPPO 105D player. The OPPO gave a significant step up to the picture quality running blueray, but i also used the unit as passthrough on my tv top box and was able to run tv at 1024p. I used the unit to decode the audio and was now able to decode the newest formats, use the RCA jacks for all 5.1 channels, and just use the Denon receiver for amplification.

Moving on i my upgrades, i decided that i wanted to go with separates, instead of another receiver. At first i thought about going with an Anthem system, but came to the conclusion, that the surround decoder was too expensive and advanced for my use. The advice i got from my home theather connection was, that i might look at Rotel, as this would give really good bang for the bucks. I read some positive reviews, found that Rotel was produces in the same company as my speakers and decided that this was what i wanted to go with.

I ordered the Rotel RMB-1585 first, and decided to wait out the arrival of the upcomming RSP-1582.

When i got my RMB-1585, was eager to see how it would work out with the OPPO alone and simply bypass any surround processor. I was quite surprised how smooth this worked out. The volume control in the OPPO is very good, speakers can be set to large/small, speaker distances can be set, and crossover level for bass management can be set as well. The 5 x 200 W class A/B amplification really gave a much tighter grip on my speakers compared to the Denon receiver. There is very nice warmth to the sound, that i really like. I haven’t really had the chance to see what this amp can do, as i live in an apartment. I am quite sure it can blow off the roof.

I would say that the OPPO blueray and the Rotel power amplifier covered 90% of my needs. I watched blue ray movies, passed the tv though the unit, and ran Tidal in highest quality for music listening. To be honest, i had doubts if i needed to add a separate surround processor. But i did, and i am glad.

The Rotel RSP 1582 is now installed and ”loosely” calibrated. I have exchanged the RCA cables for balanced cables. I have set up the speaker distances in the unit and adjusted the volumes for each speakers by ear using the test tones. The crossover level is set to a default of 100 hertz. I tried at 80 hertz, but decided that the default level gave a more full sound picture. That is it for now, the rest has been left at default although there are quite some expert settings, that can be tweaked. I am quite sure that the next limitation is making proper adjustments for the room, but i have no equipment (or knowledge) for doing so.

From a visual point of view, the unit was actually larger than i thought. I decided to stack it on top of the amplifier. And then the OPPO on top of this, and lastly the tv set top. The Rotel stack is a visual statement in itself. Luckily my girlfriend has agreed to the conclusion that quality comes along with physical presence. There is no way around it. Anyways, i go with long cabling 2 x 10 meters for the fronts and 12 meter for the center speaker, and the stack is parked away in a corner of the room, so one is not looking directly at it. Pressing the power button in the front, will only set the unit in standby mode, and the blue ring will glow anoyingly bright. After i mounted the dim-ring, the glow came to a much more tolerable level, and i do not have to turn off the back swith for a complete power down. I also dimmed down the front lcd panel to the lowest level. On my amp the dim-rim has also been put into use.

I have been re-watching Life of Pi, and Avatar to give the system a run for the money. The first thing i seem to notice is a very very good separation of the channels. In particular i think the bass management stands out, compared to what the OPPO and Denon receiver has ever been able to do. In addition i find that the noise floor is extremely low. I got a huge improvement of the noise floor when i got rid of the receiver, to the setup with the OPPO direct in the power amp. But i believe i notice even more improvement with the RSP 1582. Maybe going balanced has a say in this.

I wanted a setup that compares or goes beyond my local cinema theater. I do believe i have it now. Maybe proper room calibration can bring out some extra percentages. I am quite sure, this is the case, and i will see if i can get this done somehow.

[sunebak]

Here is a few pictures of my 5.1 setup and the new RSP 1582

The long cabling allows me to put the processor, amplification etc in the back end of the room, leaving the room more open and "female" friendly, allowing for large speakers and a lot of amplification.

[sunebak]

last picture

[Mikael]

Congratulations your setup looks very very nice.

[RoMan]

Thanks for the review sunebak and the posted pics of your setup. Quite the powerhouse setup you have there. Nice review and yes the bluetooth portion works as well and Patrick Butler was able to confirm it. Thanks out to Patrick. Which kind of interconnects are you using for your setup? Thanks sunebak.

RoMan

[sunebak]

Hi RoMan,

Thanks a lot.

My choise of cabling has been TaraLab Helix 8 Bi-wire, front (2x10 meter) and center loudspeaker (1x12 meter). Upgrading the power amplifier, i wanted this cabling for the rear speakers as well, but could not get it. Instead i got the Audiovector Zero Super cables. My balanced connectors and HDMI cabling is Real cables from their top Master Series. The orange cable is a Nordost Wyrewizzard HDMI cable. Being orange it looks malplaced. Hopefully i can get rid of the TV set top box and this cable at some point, and run everything from the OPPO and Apple tv, but i am not quite there yet. For antenna i have Audioquest Forest, and for the network i have Audioquest Peal.

[madmac]

last picture[ATTACH=CONFIG]25005[/ATTACH]

Can I make a suggestion ? First off, your main speakers are way too close to both the back walls and the side one's. You'll get much better performance getting them away from the side walls by 3 feet and moving them 3 feet out into the room as well.

The center channel speaker is way off axis. When you are watching or listening, do you move it in front of the doors under the screen in the middle?? This would greatly enhance the audio presentation as well.

[RoMan]

Hi sunebak..some very nice cabling there and I'm sure its pure audio bliss while watching a movie and listening to music. Impressive. Never heard of Audiovector before but will look them up and see what they offer. Thanks for sharing. Much appreciated sunebak.

RoMan

[Mikael]

I got my new toy today. The RSP-1582.
Its a bit bigger than I thougth. Here are my first impressions:
It has a very big sound stage, way bigger than the rsp-1572. And it sounds amazing.
Tha bass sounds like it goes deeper compared to the rsp-1572. And it is so much more powerfull, full sounding and hits so hard, very dynamic.
The midrange is more open with a lot more detail and sounds I havn't heard before, but still very pleasent to the ears.
The treble is very detailed and goes higher up in frequence than the rsp-1572.

The overall sound is very open/inviting, dynamic and full/warm and a very powerfull bass.

But mind you it has only been out of the box a few hours.

So far I am very happy with it.

[Mikael]

How do I post a picture? Cant find the attachment button

[sunebak]

Can I make a suggestion ? First off, your main speakers are way too close to both the back walls and the side one's. You'll get much better performance getting them away from the side walls by 3 feet and moving them 3 feet out into the room as well.

The center channel speaker is way off axis. When you are watching or listening, do you move it in front of the doors under the screen in the middle?? This would greatly enhance the audio presentation as well.

Hi madmac,

Thanks a lot for your input, it is highly appreciated.

I do know that my room is a limitation, and that the speakers are too close to the wall's. It is a part of the compromise of living in a relatively small department and trying to have the room look open and decorative (female friendly) at the same time. Is there any way apply/adjust the advanced room adjustment settings, so that that the bass can be adjusted to accommodate for this, at least to some extend?

Regarding the center speaker i can say, that this speaker is actually centered for the viewer in the sofa. As you can see on some of the other pictures, the sofa is not centeret either. I do have enough cabling in place to move the center speaker into the middle, but i actually find that it sounds better having it in front of the where we are actually sitting. Again, this way i also avoid moving the speaker physically. One of my dreams is to have a dedicated room for this and optimize the room. But actually that will be hard too, because my girlfriend likes this setup, and wants it to be staying in the living room :-)

[sunebak]

Hi Mikael, you will have to "go advanced". In there you upload your pictures first, and then you can add them to your posts. I look forward to see a picture of your setup.

[Mikael]

Thanks Sune
Hi here is a somewhat half bad picture all I have at this moment.

[madmac]

Hi madmac,

Thanks a lot for your input, it is highly appreciated.

I do know that my room is a limitation, and that the speakers are too close to the wall's. It is a part of the compromise of living in a relatively small department and trying to have the room look open and decorative (female friendly) at the same time. Is there any way apply/adjust the advanced room adjustment settings, so that that the bass can be adjusted to accommodate for this, at least to some extend?

Regarding the center speaker i can say, that this speaker is actually centered for the viewer in the sofa. As you can see on some of the other pictures, the sofa is not centeret either. I do have enough cabling in place to move the center speaker into the middle, but i actually find that it sounds better having it in front of the where we are actually sitting. Again, this way i also avoid moving the speaker physically. One of my dreams is to have a dedicated room for this and optimize the room. But actually that will be hard too, because my girlfriend likes this setup, and wants it to be staying in the living room :-)

Photos can make rooms look much bigger than they actually are and this might be the case here. Even if you move your speakers away from the walls by only a foot it will make a big difference. The center channel speaker should be under the screen regardless of where you are sitting because that's where the dialogue comes from. The people talking on the screen should be coming from the screen, not from somewhere else in the room.

You could ensure that your speakers are set to 'small' in the menu's in your amp. This will minimize excessive bass from coming from your main speakers being so close to the walls. This also frees up power for your amp and lets the bass get handled by your sub woofer. But I do understand that there are limitations as to how one can set up their gear in a given room.......especially when there are women involved !!! Hehehe!!

[TomInKY]

Long-time "audiophile" (within my means), first-time poster. I recently upgraded my system, after many years of neglect. I replaced an old Yamaha A/V receiver with a Rotel RMB-1575 amp and RSP-1572 Pre-amp combo to go with my stored Def. Techs and and center/rear setup. The RSP-1572 has been driving me nuts due to the audio lock delay issue and the pop that goes with that. Very annoying and it appears there is no fix. Wondering if you are experiencing any of that with your new RSP-1582?

[Patrick Butler]

Hi TomInKY,

The RSP-1572 uses circa 2011 HDMI switching technology. Many commercially available HDMI switchers (repeaters are they are technically known in the HDMI world) from that era introduce a noticeable, initial delay between when you first see a video image, and when the audio turns on. In the case of the RSP-1572, that can be up to 5 seconds or so. Regarding the "pop" that you are experiencing, that is not a standard "feature", and I'm not sure why that is happening in your system. You might want to check which version of firmware that you are using in your RSP.

The RSP-1582 was introduced late last year, so the HDMI switching is current tech. You can expect to experience up to a .5 sec delay between when you first see the video, and when the audio turns on.

Best Regards,

Patrick Butler
B&W Group North America

Long-time "audiophile" (within my means), first-time poster. I recently upgraded my system, after many years of neglect. I replaced an old Yamaha A/V receiver with a Rotel RMB-1575 amp and RSP-1572 Pre-amp combo to go with my stored Def. Techs and and center/rear setup. The RSP-1572 has been driving me nuts due to the audio lock delay issue and the pop that goes with that. Very annoying and it appears there is no fix. Wondering if you are experiencing any of that with your new RSP-1582?

[TomInKY]

Patrick:
My local dealer has been talking to Rotel and they asked about my firmware. I checked it today for them and it is: Main: V2.06, Video: V1.15, Audio: V1.10. I'm waiting on a reply from my dealer rep. From what I've been reading, other owners of this pre-amp have had the same issue and have not solved it. (Or at least if they have, they haven't reported it as fixed.)

I might add, I do watch a LOT of broadcast concerts and other tv favorites on DirecTV, have the most current DirecTV receiver, and the delay/pop issue is very prevalent when the program goes to commercials that are not in the same audio format as the concert or the tv show.

Thanks for your reply - I really appreciate any input on this from anyone if it leads to the solution.

Tom

[Mikael]

Here is a few better pictures pf my setup.

[Patrick Butler]

Hi TomInKY,

It would appear that you have the latest firmware. We use cable boxes for testing equipment in our offices, and the problem we've found is is that different models and brands behave differently. Further, it is a great source of problems across all manufacturers of receivers and processors. In other words, you could have an issue with your Direct TV box, while our Motorola from Comcast works fine. I would suggest asking Direct TV to replace your box with a different model, or consider using a different digital output out of your Direct TV box.

Regards,

Patrick
B&W Group North America

Patrick:
My local dealer has been talking to Rotel and they asked about my firmware. I checked it today for them and it is: Main: V2.06, Video: V1.15, Audio: V1.10. I'm waiting on a reply from my dealer rep. From what I've been reading, other owners of this pre-amp have had the same issue and have not solved it. (Or at least if they have, they haven't reported it as fixed.)

I might add, I do watch a LOT of broadcast concerts and other tv favorites on DirecTV, have the most current DirecTV receiver, and the delay/pop issue is very prevalent when the program goes to commercials that are not in the same audio format as the concert or the tv show.

Thanks for your reply - I really appreciate any input on this from anyone if it leads to the solution.

Tom

[HoustonRider]

I bought my RSP1582 back in Nov, I think I was the first one in Houston to buy one (matter of fact I bought it before BB could open it up and use it as a demo).

[RoMan]

How do you like it HoustonRider? Is this your first Rotel piece of equipment?

RoMan