RSP 1066 Bass management

[Ross Smith]

Well it's about 4 weeks since the arrival of my replacement 1066 initially I was impressed with the sound, nicely detailed and smooth sounding. Then doubts crept in after reading threads on the new 1068, kept on thinking maybe there's something better out there. I have now gone back to listening to the music and not how the Amp sounds. The 1066 might not be the perfect sounding Pre-Amp but gee it does a lot right, firstly it's not fatiguing listening to it and when playing CD's and DVD's it's nice and clean and open. I have given up on chasing the perfect sound it doesn't exist, human nature will always have you thinking that there's something better ot there.
I have a question on sub-woofer set up. I have a M&K V125 sub at present I have the 1066's low pass filter set at 100hz, is it better to let a full range signal go to the sub and then use the low pass filter settings on the sub. I was wondering which would intergrate better.
One other suprise is to find out that the tone controls actually adjust the center speaker as well as the fronts. Well just about to finnish work I'm going to a mates place today to try the 2.6 version firmware update,on my Windows XP it wouldn't work .

[DrJRapp]

I have now gone back to listening to the music and not how the Amp sounds.

Now, there is one very smart person !

To answer your question on bass management, I prefer to let the pre-pro do that work. If you use the Xover in the sub on X.1 material you will inadvertantly be tailoring the LFE channel in a manner not intended.

[Mark_C.]

Bright boy! Maybe the 1066 isn't as good as the 1068, but then maybe it is. I've had mine for 18 months now, and I couldn't be more pleased. Enjoy! And I second the previous recommendation: let the 1066 do the crossover work. Too much fiddling can be a bad thing sometimes.

[bigkid]

Hi Ross,

I agree with others. I'm just responding to your comments about XP. You might find that upgrade via XP does work, but just takes a v...e...r..y..l..o...n..g...time. I re-started my upgrade a couple of times before I realised that progress was actually being made, just very slow. You might want to give it another go some time.

Good idea on avoiding listening to the amp! I think once you get to a certain level, differences in quality are marginal. The 1066, which I also have, is a damn fine HT amp and a great value for money stereo audio amp. If stereo is important to you, you could spend a fortune on amps only to get some minor improvements. The same couple of grand could also be spent on a 192K upsampling DAC. Now that will really make a difference to your sound!!

Regards

Allan
(Sydney, Australia)

[Ross Smith]

Thanks for your replies guys, yep I'm definately not getting on the audio upgrade roundabout again just be happy with what you have.
Allen I just bought a new Pioneer 667A DVD player ($A329) it has a 192K Burr Brown Dac on the front channels, so is that the same thing you mentioned. It sounds good on the one DVD Audio disc (Doobie Bro's) I have running through the RSP 1066 6.1 imput.Except the bass is some what lacking luckily I can boost the bass on the 6.1 imput using the 1066's menu.

[bigkid]

Hi Ross,

Not sure about the new Pioneer, I am not familiar with it. I was talking (bragging!) about a new toy of mine, an upsampling DAC. It improves CD audio quality, making it more 'analogue', more like a record. It is a stand-alone box (although some high end CD players have the capability, Musical Fidelity etc) and it takes the 48Khz, 16 bit (I think) digital signal direct from your CD player and upsamples it to 192 Khz / 24 bits. It inserts extra data, with more detail, between the 48K samples based on a complex algorithm which interprets what would have been present in the original analogue signal. If you search on 'Bel Canto' and 'DAC' on the web you should be able to find a more knowledgable description of what occurs in this process). The signal is then output to your preamp as a 2 channel analogue signal. Your CD player (or DVD Player playing CDs) is really only a transport in this configuration. I suspect your Pioneer will only convert a 192Khz signal from DVD-A discs to analogue, I don't think it will upsample (improve) a CD - although I could be wrong on this. I don't think you can get an upsampling DAC for under A$2500.

I have an Electra 192khz/24bit DAC between a Toshiba SD900 multi-format disc player and my Rotel 1066 pre, for CD listening. I can switch between the player direct to the pre and via the DAC. The difference in quality is staggering (and the Toshiba is a very well regarded unit). Women vocalists suddenly don't all sound like smokers (except those who smoke), the breadth of sound is astonishing - you will swear that there are instruments well outside your main speakers. And the tone is warmer, more analogue. Instruments are rock solid in the sound stage. I cannot tell the difference in quality between a CD through the upsampler and a DVD-A! I don't have to replace mys CD's with DVD-As!!!

If I was to spend a couple of grand improving audio quality, once I had the basics covered (and you can't go wrong with Rotel here), then for me the biggest improvement will come from an external, good quality DAC, much, much more that an extra couple of grand on a preamp which is working with the original 48K signal.

Regards,

Allan

[Ross Smith]

I have another query on bass management.
My speaker system consists of 4 Krix Lyrix floor standing speakers (6 1/2"drivers),a centre speaker (5" drivers) and a M&K V 125 Active Sub.In the 1066's speaker menu I have selected small speakers all round and in the sub menu I have selected the 80hz crossover setting.This selection I thought would lessen the strain on the main speakers not having to do the low bass and in the process clear up the midrange. I thought that once you have made this selection that it was a global setting for all imputs digital and anologue. But I have read since that in anologue mode like the CD imput the cross over setting is by-passed thus sending a full range signal to the front speakers and also sending bass signals to the sub woofer. This is in theory is doubling up your bass response.
l would still like to fill in the bottom octaves of bass on my front speakers when listening to anologue stereo, so in the 1066's speaker menu would it be best to select Large front speakers and then use a cross over piont of 40hz in the sub woofer menu