Sherwood Newcastle P-965 vs. Rotel RSP-1068

[Fred]

Well, it's down to these two units. They aer comparably priced. And yes, the Rotel would have better resale value a few years down the road, but I'm not that worried about that.

Both companies have Dolby PLIIx, and both have firmware upgrades. S-N is scheduled for 3 upgrades over the next 4 months.

S-N issue-Bass management/crossovers not as robust. Unable to set subwoofer distance from listening area.

Rotel issue- No Dolby Virtual headphone jack (nice with small kids who are sleeping!). Alos heard that there is a bigtime hum.

There may be others. There's a big "vs." thread over at the AVS forum, but I was curious to see if a Rotel forum had any experience with the 2 units.

The unit would be used for 95% home theater/5% music. So, I obviously am not that concerned with 2-channel music (although the ability to have the unit automatically shut down sub and run mains full range would be a plus).

Speakers- Paradigm Studio 100's/Studio CC/Studio ADPs/Studio 20s (rears)
Amp- Parasound HCA-1000A, HCA-2205A

Any input would be appreciated on pros and cons of either unit. Thanks!

Fred

[dali]

Haven't heard the Sherwood model, but from my experience with other SHerwood models the RSP1068 should win hands down. Let your ears be the judge ...

[jimmyp58]

Fred:

I just sent you an e-mail about the Sherwood pre-pro. I had a prior-to-release announcement brochure sent to me by a dealer. Hope the info helps.

Jim

P.S. Welcome to the forum!

[jimmyp58]

Fred:

The e-mail I sent you came back as undeliverable. See my e-mail in my profile, e-mail me, and I'll respond with the PDF.

Jim

[Dmantis]

Nice way to start out.Keep it going.Write down or Notepad all the pros and cons of each pre.Then see which one is more to your liking.

In the end sound quality overpowers any features in my book.My personal preference is sound quality for 2 channel playback ,then Theater.

Good luck

Dan

[Andrew Pratt]

The first sherwood pre amp got rave reviews..esp for its analog bypass mode but opperationally it left a lot to be desired (no auto sensing etc.) I'm sure that's been fixed now though and it'll likely be a pretty nice unit all in all...but then so is the Rotel. As you pointed out the Rotel will hold its value much better, is more flexible and of course you've got access to us as a resource to help you get the most out of it!

[Fred]

review

The RSP-1068 got a nice review in StereoPhiles Ultimate Home Theater July/August issue.

Any idea if there are plans for room equalization autosensing like their are for the Sherwood? That's due in a upgrade in September.

Biggest issues I have- no S-N dealer within 2 hours of Philadelphia, and closest Rotel is in Delaware (ah, but tax-free!). I need to touch/feel stuff

[DelRay]

Hi Fred, Was wondering if there's a website that would have the review of the 1068. I would like to read it. Thanks

[pciav]

The July/August issue of Sterophile Ultimate A/V has a very nice article on the RSP-1068... It is not available on the web site yet, but should still be available on the shelves.

I can't speak about the Sherwood, because I didn't even bother to look at it. To me Sherwood's less than stellar past reputation was enough to to keep me away. The Sherwood is an awfully big piece also as to me it looks just the their receiver minus the amp section.

I went from a Yamaha RX-Z1 receiver to a Rotel RSP-1068 SSP, RT-1080 Tuner, and an ATI 1806 Amp. I can't even begin to tell you how how happy I am with the improvement it has made. Detail and clarity has been greatly improved for me.

The Sherwood may be a little cheaper and give you the tuner in one package, but the Rotel software will certainly outshine the Sherwood no matter how many firmware upgrades they do. I do not think you will be unhappy with either purchase and I am not trying to bash the Sherwood, but to me the Rotel although priced similarly is a step up. If you shop, the Rotel can and will be very competively priced. Good luck with your decision.

Phil C.

[DrJRapp]

The Sherwood is an awfully big piece also as to me it looks just the their receiver minus the amp section.

Phil C.

It probabaly is, which is not a bad thing. Home Theater Magazine just did a comparo review of the receiver along with three others in it's August edition. They sang praises of the S/Ns build quality, appearance and sonics while dishing it on lack of automation such as room eq and auto setup. Rumors from reliable sources also tell me that the S/N is built in the same Chinese plant as Rotel.

I was interested in Fred's entry above that said that the S/N unit was slated for upgrade with these features in September. If that be the case and that upgrade is accomplished by software, then S/N will have delivered in an area that Rotel promises but falls way short...that of future proofing their equipment.

[Fred]

Setup

The p-965 is due for a firmware update in late august/september that will add room equalization and auto setup.

August Home Theater, eh? I'll have to check it out. I did read the Ultimate A/V issue on the Rotel, which got a very nice review.

[Andrew Pratt]

"Rumors from reliable sources also tell me that the S/N is built in the same Chinese plant as Rotel."

I can say for sure that this is completely false...in fact my contact was laughing when he heard that comment and said he should take a photo of the factory for us for proof :B

Rotel owns and opperates its own factory in China and don't outsource anything so while Sherwood might like their gear to be built in Rotel's factory it just isn't going to happen

[DrJRapp]

my contact was laughing when he heard that comment and said he should take a photo of the factory for us for proof :B

It would be interesting to see a photo, not as proof, but for curiosity's own sake.

[Andrew Pratt]

I'd like to see a photo too. I've seen some from inside the building but none of the outside etc

[boe]

I'd like to know more if anyone has actually compared these two units.

Thanks

[USBeauty]

I have read the threads on that other forum about the S-N and for me as well, it came down to the two units you have mentioned. This was my first new sound processor in many years, and the setup and operational challenges that the S-N presented, as well as the opinions of others, steered me to the Rotel. I also was worried about hum. I hate hum. I did everything one could possibly do to hear hum at the dealer showroom. I heard no hum. I have owned the 1068 for a month; still no hum. Hope this helps.

[Legairre]

Here's a comparison someone did.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=377336&perpage=20&pagenumber=4

[boe]

Legairre - thanks that was very helpful. The auto decode issue would drive me crazy. I have a 5 year old Sony preamp and it has never missed on any of the DVD's for the audio format. Buying a newer one with this issue would infuriate me. I'm sure it does many things better than my 5 year old preamp but I'd hate to take a step backwards on anything.

[Legairre]

Actually the auto decode has been fixed in a firmware release. That link was from April of last year, so they have had a couple of firmware releases since that link was started. The next firmware release will add a parametric EQ and some other cool features. I've been checking out the P-965 because I plan on replacing my RSP-1066 with one.

[eddie713]

Someone help me! I have 4 Adcom GFA 555 amps and a Marantz AV9000 Pre amp. I would like to upgrade to a better preamp with a Budget of $2500.00 to play with. I read all these articles about these pre amps and its making me go crazy. Which one should I choose should sell everything and buy a receiver. Now that's another question.

Eddie

[jimmyp58]

Excuse my ignorance but I am confused. Do you want a pre-amp (typically used for 2-channel music), a pre-amp processor (for HT and/or 2-channel), or a receiver?

Jim

[Blindamood]

For anyone who is interested, here is the link the online version of the RSP-1068 review from Ultimate AV magazine (previously Stereophile's Guide to Home Theater):

RSP-1068 Review

[Kaveman]

Thanks Brad! That was very usefull.
The more I read, the more I know: IT COULD ONLY BE ONE! (For me any way).