Rotel rb 1080 power amp?

sunder

Active Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2009
Messages
666
Points
43
Location
india
Dear friends, can any one reveal your experiences on Rotel RB1080 power amp? how is the mid&vocal quality? is it still in the production? Musically is it good?
 
Dear friends, can any one reveal your experiences on Rotel RB1080 power amp? how is the mid&vocal quality? is it still in the production? Musically is it good?

This model is discontinued and was produced last to last year. Its rated @ 200 watts per channel @ 8 ohms and is a 2 channel power amp made to go with matching pre amps from rotel.
Its should always be taken into account the current requirement or the input senstivity of a power amp otherwise the output volume would be even lower than from a device with lower power ratings. Rotels require 1.5 V at pre outs so its better suited to their own power amps, or if your pre amp output voltage from pre outs is close to this one then you could defenitely go in with this model.
 
ashish - OT question - have you received your oppo?

regards

I would recieve it by day after tomorrow as the same is with customs right now and because of the long weekend the same shall be released on Monday and I should most probably get it by Tuesday or wednesday.
 
Dear friends, can any one reveal your experiences on Rotel RB1080 power amp? how is the mid&vocal quality? is it still in the production? Musically is it good?

Hi,
Its a 'fair' amplifier. An average performer at best. The mids are a bit thin and the overall sound leads to fatigue. I had these Rotels and tried them with various preamps and the results were best with the Rotel RC 1082. The RC 1070 sounded veiled and the RC 03 with the RB 1080 was quite a mismatch. IMO u are better of going for the NAD 272. That way u can at least hear your music for hours at a stretch.
Lastly it was in production till last year and was the flagship in the rotel two channel series (RB 1090 was discontinued way earlier). A few years ago this was a serious option for guys who needed the power at a sensible price(bought mine for about 50K)
Rgds
 
Well ANM it was about 40K for the 272 and about 35K for the Preamp 162. The rotel power amp at AVI was about 75K and the Preamp RC 1070 was 30K and the RC 1082 about 58K.
IMO the Nad combo is a better solution to the Rotel combo.
Both the above should be reasonab ly easy to get used.

One more thing to consider when buying a 'big' power amp with no soft start is that the surge on start up frequently trips the breaker.
Rgds
 
Dear friends, can any one reveal your experiences on Rotel RB1080 power amp? how is the mid&vocal quality? is it still in the production? Musically is it good?

if youre considering it make sure that you audition with your speakers since rotels can be very finicky when it comes to matching
 
Hi,
Its a 'fair' amplifier. An average performer at best. The mids are a bit thin and the overall sound leads to fatigue. I had these Rotels and tried them with various preamps and the results were best with the Rotel RC 1082. The RC 1070 sounded veiled and the RC 03 with the RB 1080 was quite a mismatch. IMO u are better of going for the NAD 272. That way u can at least hear your music for hours at a stretch.
Lastly it was in production till last year and was the flagship in the rotel two channel series (RB 1090 was discontinued way earlier). A few years ago this was a serious option for guys who needed the power at a sensible price(bought mine for about 50K)
Rgds

Hi Dinyaar,thanks for saying your experiences regarding Rotel. I have an interest over 250+250 power amp to hear the grunt in the lows in the 9'o'clock position under medium budget.
 
Hi Sunder,
From your Intro thread we know that you are finding some of your music bright and harsh and perhaps too forward. Then from all reports the Rotel is not the solution for you. If I remember correctly you have the Arcam FMJ 31 pre, FMJ P1 monoblocks driving Spendor 8se floorstanders and your source is a Marantz CDP. I do not see anything harsh or too forward there including your VDH hybrid speaker cables. The Rotel will make matters much worse for you.

Now you mention that you want to hear the bass grunt from a jumbo power amp at 8 O'clock position. You can try out the Odyssey Audio Stratos monoblocks or even the stereo power amp or the Khartago monoblocks and see if you like them. They will not give you 250wpc. But in my knowledge, without perhaps spending a huge amount, these offer great quality of amplification with very very good bass. You have a very good pre, and you have to see if it goes well with the power amps I mentioned.

Regards.
 
Hi Sunder,
I did not know ur set up. From Asits post i gather u have a very good set up with a decent cdp , great preamp, decent power and speakers that i like. I cant imagine the sound being hard,edgy, forward etc etc. IMO going Rotel is going backwards. These Rotels are set up in the way (gain) that they play loud at 9 'O' clock but by 11 u need an ENT. U can use about 1/3 of the volume pot, the rest is rubbish.
Actually i have heard many ARCAM integrateds and power amps and even had a Bi amped Arcam for a while but i have never heard these P1s. The preamp is top class, even better than some from the so called biggies.
Rgds
 
Hi Asit,
What is the figure when you say "without perhaps spending a huge amount". Please share the ballpark pricing of the models you have mentioned.

regards

Hi Sunder,
From your Intro thread we know that you are finding some of your music bright and harsh and perhaps too forward. Then from all reports the Rotel is not the solution for you. If I remember correctly you have the Arcam FMJ 31 pre, FMJ P1 monoblocks driving Spendor 8se floorstanders and your source is a Marantz CDP. I do not see anything harsh or too forward there including your VDH hybrid speaker cables. The Rotel will make matters much worse for you.

Now you mention that you want to hear the bass grunt from a jumbo power amp at 8 O'clock position. You can try out the Odyssey Audio Stratos monoblocks or even the stereo power amp or the Khartago monoblocks and see if you like them. They will not give you 250wpc. But in my knowledge, without perhaps spending a huge amount, these offer great quality of amplification with very very good bass. You have a very good pre, and you have to see if it goes well with the power amps I mentioned.

Regards.
 
Hi Asit,
What is the figure when you say "without perhaps spending a huge amount". Please share the ballpark pricing of the models you have mentioned.

regards

Well, you can go to Odyssey Audio. Call us (317) 299 5578. IN, USA. and find out all the USD prices because they sell direct. I considered the Stratos stereo which appears there as USD 1195 for the standard version with 60K microfarad cap. I believe the price in India is quite reaonable, as far as I can remember. I considered the one with the caps upgrade (for a total of 120 microfarad) for little bit extra. This is the one Vinny (square_wave) has. Stratos stereo is 150 wpc at 8 Ohms. This was an amp almost anybody who heard it thinks highly of. I was at a point where I almost settled for it as the power amp. Ultimately within my budget I could not figure out the puzzle of a passive pre (could not afford a decent active pre, Odyssey offers a tube pre called candella). This possibility and the power amp Jaton Operetta are discussed at length in my amp thread.

All these amps including the Khartago are stable at a 2 Ohm load and are expected to perform well with most speakers and even at the lows. Khartago stereo is the cheapest and of course the stratos monoblocks (180 wpc at 8) will cost more.

Regards.
 
Hey ANM,
You are asking about rotel from a guy who uses Bryston 4bst as a spare for a holiday home. I keep badgering him to think of my place as a the holiday home lol.
Cheers

Well ANM it was about 40K for the 272 and about 35K for the Preamp 162. The rotel power amp at AVI was about 75K and the Preamp RC 1070 was 30K and the RC 1082 about 58K.
IMO the Nad combo is a better solution to the Rotel combo.
Both the above should be reasonab ly easy to get used.

One more thing to consider when buying a 'big' power amp with no soft start is that the surge on start up frequently trips the breaker.
Rgds
 
Hi Sunder,
From your Intro thread we know that you are finding some of your music bright and harsh and perhaps too forward. Then from all reports the Rotel is not the solution for you. If I remember correctly you have the Arcam FMJ 31 pre, FMJ P1 monoblocks driving Spendor 8se floorstanders and your source is a Marantz CDP. I do not see anything harsh or too forward there including your VDH hybrid speaker cables. The Rotel will make matters much worse for you.

Now you mention that you want to hear the bass grunt from a jumbo power amp at 8 O'clock position. You can try out the Odyssey Audio Stratos monoblocks or even the stereo power amp or the Khartago monoblocks and see if you like them. They will not give you 250wpc. But in my knowledge, without perhaps spending a huge amount, these offer great quality of amplification with very very good bass. You have a very good pre, and you have to see if it goes well with the power amps I mentioned.

Regards.

Hi Asit, thank you. No doubt that am having exellent seperates &going quite well ,and enjoying.I never like forward & bright sound as I admire the Arcams. And I dont like loud sound. Just want to feel (not to hear )the Bass grunt like from the Butt Kicker. So my desire is not 'the huge amount of sound'. Since the Rotel RB1080 having 250wpc, am just asking our friends that how is it?. I know the 'the hereditary characterics' of Arcam & Rotel.
regards,
sunder.
 
Hi Asit, thank you. No doubt that am having exellent seperates &going quite well ,and enjoying.I never like forward & bright sound as I admire the Arcams. And I dont like loud sound. Just want to feel (not to hear )the Bass grunt like from the Butt Kicker. So my desire is not 'the huge amount of sound'. Since the Rotel RB1080 having 250wpc, am just asking our friends that how is it?. I know the 'the hereditary characterics' of Arcam & Rotel.
regards,
sunder.

In that case try and audition a bryston 4 BSST2. U will FEEL the power the amp pumps out and with effortless ease. The RB 1080 a 200WPC amp and not 250 WPC at 8 ohms. The 4BSST is 300 WPC and if u can get a used 4BST even better IMO. Not as refined as the newer SST and SST2 but more reliable. It even pairs superbly with your Arcam preamp and lots of guys in bbay are using the combo as the arcam is more versatile than the bryston pre and is cheaper too.
Rgds
 
Last edited:
Purchase the Audiolab 6000A Integrated Amplifier at a special offer price.
Back
Top