rsx 1056 sounds thin, what's the break in time?

[Chuck]

I finally received my 1056 yesterday evening and I’m actually a little disappointed. I’m trying not to think about it, and give it a few days to break in but it’s hard not to second guess the purchase. I was previously considering getting the RB-1080 for the fronts or possibly the 1067 instead, but I wanted to try it on it’s lonesome first. Now I’m wondering if Rotel isn’t a good match for my speakers.

Cons: Sounds a little thin, maybe too clean? Very laid back with my front Quad 22Ls and back 11Ls. (http://www.iagamerica.com/quad/lseries.htm) I guess I’m just wondering, where’s the balls? Pardon my French and maybe I’m confusing other receiver’s brightness with balls and aggressiveness, but it just doesn’t seem to throw the sound around the room that well (yet). Another thing I’ve noticed is that the bass in 5 channel stereo or PLII Music is a lot lower than the bass in 2 Ch. Has anyone tried to compensate for this? I do not have a subwoofer.


Pros: no clipping
group delay to compensate for my dvd’s dvi video delay(stupid Samsung)
Jazz sounds pretty good, definitely like the laid back feel with Jazz, but it’s missing some oomph for Rock. Any recommended settings?

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t kick it out of bed, but I’m wondering if there’s a better match out there for my buck. My local distributor only has a 7 day return policy (30 days exchange).

Thanks for your help and patience,

Chuck

[Andrew Pratt]

Give it the full week playing material while you're not home and see how it does. It might not get much more slam but it should mellow out a little. Really though if you're looking for impact from speakers running as larges going with a seperate power amp is likely the best idea..and it'll still be fairly affordable compared to some of the higher priced receivers (incl the 1067)

[aud19]

My 1066/1075 took a good week or two to break-in even with fairly regualr though not constant usage. It opens up and fleshes out, trust me

Also like Andrew said (and especially with large full range mains) the 1080 will likely give you more of the impact that you're looking for.

Try to keep in mind that while Rotel gear is quite capable of rocking the joint, the higher end equipment you get in to the less (over-)emphasis is put on general things like bass and volume. The reason you move up the ladder is for things like microdynamics, imaging etc. I'll use Cerwin Vega speakers as examples. They're sturdily built speakers that will play to punishing levels and definately rock any joint. However sit in front of a pair in the "sweet spot" and things like imaging and detail, being able to hear the singer breathing, proper decay of a plucked bass string etc will just not be there like they would in a more "audiophile speaker". Will the audiophile speaker be as in your face and ass-kicking? No, probably not. But it can still rock as well as offer more, better qualities. Not only that but they'll be truer to the source.

Jason




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[Bam!]

Hey duders!

I have the 1056...and...it did in fact take a good week running 24/day.....Balls and 1056....it goes together. However sounds to me like you just went from a 2 channel system to a 5 channel....could it be ?

There is a ton of features on the 1056 for bass management for the problems you speak about.

Hope this helps!

[Chuck]

Hey Bam, I did have a 5 channel setup before, I had a Sony receiver that I bought about 3 years ago for around $500 (I think). The sound was just ok, but it was the clipping with my new speakers that prompted me to finally upgrade. Maybe it's just taking my ears awhile to get used to the non-dirty distorted sound.

[Bam!]

Chuck!

I must agree, A cheap Sony 5 channel receiver can screw up you ears :lol:

After they heal, I think you will HEAR the balls in the amp!!!

I had some audiophile buddies come over to do a night of tweaking, One of them has Bryston`s 4bsst with a BP25 Pre amp (Bryston) on a pair of Angstrum Obbligatto`s....and he could not believe how gutsy, defined and quiet this 1056 truly is....Any weakness in youre system however like your source, cable or whatever is picked up in a snap....maybe your problem lies there.....what is the rest of your gear ?

Take care duder!

[Chuck]

I have a samsung 931 DVD player (with dvi), using coax out. I also have an iriver with high bit rate mp3s (192 and up). So the sources may not be the greatest, but even with the sony the highs didn’t sound as muted as the rotel does. Cymbals for example. The lows on the rotel are crisper (like on Miles Davis or Norah Jones) but doesn't have the dirtiness that should be found on rock (from grunge to metallica).

Also for music, for the most part 2 channel is better than 5 channel is better than Dolby PL II Music. The bass is definitely reduced on the 5 channel settings. is this due to the decrease in wattage or the dsp settings trying to spread out the bass? I'm just wondering if my efforts at adjusting treble / bass are futile and I should just go with the additional amp.

I will say the 1056 is sounding better than when I first played it, but it's still a bit limp sounding. I do have a big awkwardly shaped room (http://students.washington.edu/stewa...es/Layout2.jpg) with concrete floors. But again all my judgements are based against a sony of all things. My projector is against the left LR wall with my Quad 22Ls and center, and the back 11L speakers are pretty much in the center of the room directly to the side of the listening position as I've split the room into two living room setups. Any suggestions, whether different brands or upgrades or treble/bass adjustments would be appreciated.

Another tidbit, I have a regular tv on the right wall, it'd be sweet if the rotel could just swap all the speaker settings around if I were to get a symmetrical 6.1 setup, that'd be hilarious.

[Bam!]

Chuck!

I know you might not believe this but the Rotel is very sensitive and if there is a weak link in system....THAT is what you will here where as the Sony probably camouflaged that....

Tell me what you are using for wires also.....

I`ll check your profile for your whole system....see if I can help out more...



(If not Chuck I`ll just drop in one of these days! )

[gd]

I do not have a subwoofer.

I wonder if adding a sub - thereby gaining true full range - might flesh out your listening experience... am not very familiar with Quad speakers (beyond a couple show demos), but the addition of a sub when moving up to more precise and detailed electronics is recommended, even if you are a 2-channel 'purist'.

It's not unusual to experience a little 'culture shock' when upgrading... I suggest hanging in there with the Rotel for a while longer... then, if you still have the Sony, hook it back up... and I'll bet you'll wonder where all the detail, depth and imaging went!

[Chuck]

I'm using Monster cable wires. Yea, not the greatest. But my speakers are pretty spread out and the receiver is near my projector because the video quality drops quicker than sound quality in cables. I went with monster instead of fancy cables because I had to use about 100 feet of cables to get to all my speakers. I know it would sound better with better cables, but I just don't think amazing cables should be required for a supposedly awesome receiver to sound good. perhaps it's just breaking in slowly, I don't want to crank it while I'm away because of my neighbors (condo), I'm really not working it hard.

[Bam!]

I'm using Monster cable wires. Yea, not the greatest. But my speakers are pretty spread out and the receiver is near my projector because the video quality drops quicker than sound quality in cables. I went with monster instead of fancy cables because I had to use about 100 feet of cables to get to all my speakers. I know it would sound better with better cables, but I just don't think amazing cables should be required for a supposedly awesome receiver to sound good. perhaps it's just breaking in slowly, I don't want to crank it while I'm away because of my neighbors (condo), I'm really not working it hard.

Chuck! Buddy...you are not gettin`it....you hear the weakest link with this unit....That`s it that`s all....

Speaker placement is critical for sound.
cables....fancy shmancy.....I asked what are your interconnects also....
Why don`t you check out cables with Doug (Catcables) They are NOT expensive and are TOP quality....

Tell me more about your stuff!

:T

[kendrid]

Break-in with electronics and 'high-end' cables? Time to do some research my friend...

Rotel makes awesome gear. I'd suggest trying a decent CD player instead of MP3s and see what you think of the unit. You can't feed a Rotel ground beef when it thrives on Filet Mignon. That is the 'problem' with higher end gear - it expects everything else in your system to be of the same caliber as itself.

FYI: I am not trolling, I just find some of the ideas expressed here absurd and thought I'd voice the 'other side.' YOU might break-in, but solid state electronics? If break-in happens with SS shouldn't schools teach it in EE courses since the engineers will have to account for the changes in the components over time?

[Bam!]

Break-in with electronics and 'high-end' cables? Time to do some research my friend...

Rotel makes awesome gear. I'd suggest trying a decent CD player instead of MP3s and see what you think of the unit. You can't feed a Rotel ground beef when it thrives on Filet Mignon. That is the 'problem' with higher end gear - it expects everything else in your system to be of the same caliber as itself.

FYI: I am not trolling, I just find some of the ideas expressed here absurd and thought I'd voice the 'other side.' YOU might break-in, but solid state electronics? If break-in happens with SS shouldn't schools teach it in EE courses since the engineers will have to account for the changes in the components over time?

Kendrid!

A little harsh...but I have to agree...that is what I have been saying....so... :T

Give it crap...it will sound like crap....point done.

[kendrid]

Kendrid!

A little harsh...but I have to agree...that is what I have been saying....so... :T

Give it crap...it will sound like crap....point done.

Sorry for the harshness..I'm not feeling well today so I should stay away from the forums. :P

[Kemp]

Chuck,

I have listened to the Quad 22L's a couple of times and compared them with the Boston VR3's. Quad is a very polite speaker and not in your face. It didn't meet up to my expectations especially since I mainly listen to rock music. For classical or any light music it might work for me as I believe it is a very good speaker. A sub could make a difference. Therefor I wouldn't put the fault at the door of the Rotel yet.

[Chuck]

Thanks Kemp, I agree that the Quads are a more neutral and I bet my previous amp's distortion made the rock seem a little more gutsy than the Rotel. I did change the positioning of the speakers just slightly (more angled to the sweet spot than before) which either made the treble a bit crisper or cleared up some of the bass. It sounds fuller. My front speakers are about 12 - 13 feet apart but the music is balanced out pretty well despite a big ass couch in the middle of them.

As for the previous comments regarding break in time, it's funny how people can go from telling me to break it in (I was a skeptic) to being chastised for asking about it. Ho Hum. And just because I said I use mp3s sometime (with optical out) doesn't mean I use it all the time. My point was that with all things being equal I wasn't as pleased with the rotel as I expected for $1300.

[Bam!]

Thanks Kemp, I agree that the Quads are a more neutral and I bet my previous amp's distortion made the rock seem a little more gutsy than the Rotel. I did change the positioning of the speakers just slightly (more angled to the sweet spot than before) which either made the treble a bit crisper or cleared up some of the bass. It sounds fuller. My front speakers are about 12 - 13 feet apart but the music is balanced out pretty well despite a big ass couch in the middle of them.

As for the previous comments regarding break in time, it's funny how people can go from telling me to break it in (I was a skeptic) to being chastised for asking about it. Ho Hum. And just because I said I use mp3s sometime (with optical out) doesn't mean I use it all the time. My point was that with all things being equal I wasn't as pleased with the rotel as I expected for $1300.

ahhh Chuck a roo....don`t get your panties bunched up :lol: Saying Rotel sounds thin....makes the boys here pour it on thick :lol: but in all honesty....every little source, wire, cone, speaker placement...wil show good or bad with this baby......

Where as your Sony wasn`t as sensitive to that.....Welcome to the world of taming the beast....

Keep us informed with your tweaks and uopdates....I would like to hear them...

:T

[GregoriusM]

Although I have not owned a Rotel receiver, I have previewed one in my home at about the same price as the 1056 about 3 or 4 years ago (along with listening in the Audio Shops right until now). And I started with lower end Sony's and went right up into the higher end Sony receivers.

In my most humble opinion, there is not a Sony receiver made that stands up to the sound of a Rotel. Period.

I totally agree that if you listen to the Rotel for a week, and then plug your Sony back in, you may "hear" more bass (I use the term "hear" loosely), but you'll definitely think the Sony is more raspy and exaggerates the upper bass.

If you want to stay with the 1056, then I think a nice musical sounding sub is the way to go.

The only reason I went with my Denon at the time was that Rotel was having big problems with their chips locking on to the DTS signal.

Now, I'd no doubt buy Rotel in a second, even though I love all the bells and whistles on the new Denon 3805.

And, since the entire HT thing is psycho-acoustic and psycho-visual, some WILL hear a "loosening" up or "breaking in" of their electronics, including cables. And some will say that there is no analytical proof of it.

Personally, I take the stand that ANYTHING breaks in to a certain degree, solid state or not. You add heat to anything, and it changes it to a certain degree.

But, that issue will be argued until the end of time plus a day, I think.

Let us know how you do with your listening, and what you eventually end up doing.

Greg