My ROTEL RA-1570 is in the house (2024)

It was delivered today about 15 minutes ago. . Took it out of the box and gonna let it get warm up on the dining room table for a few hours 'cause it has been sitting in a delivery truck since about 6AM this morning and it is double digits below out there.

More to follow

First impressions are that this is really well built and attractive. It is much lighter than my Anthem by 15 lbs. so a lot easier to get out of the box and into the IKEA equipment stand. The inputs for the speakers and sources seem up to the job they secure the RCAs and bananas well and are not too tight or closely spaced.
The sound right out the box was a little disappointing I used Aux 1 for my turntable and tried a few records and while all the notes were there it seemed a little thin and bright with no authority to the bass line The soundstage stayed between the speakers and the vocals at the front of the stage and all else well back. Couldn't listen to a complete side..the records used were Heavy Weather, KOB and Deja Vu.

However this was just after being plugged in and turned on for a few minutes. Gonna warm it up for the rest of the day using my SB3 and some TV then try it again.

Um, do you have a phono preamp connected between your TT and the Rotel? If not, plugging into AUX is guaranteed to sound thin with no bass. You're missing the required RIAA equalization to handle the signal from your TT cartridge - unless it's a cheapie type w/built-in phono preamp.

Does that Rotel have Phono input? If so, use that. If not, and if your TT doesn't have a phono preamp (the majority don't), you will need to buy a phono preamp in order to use your TT with this receiver.

Edit: I see from the online specs there is a Phono input... use that for your TT.

John

jdurbin1 said:

Um, do you have a phono preamp connected between your TT and the Rotel? If not, plugging into AUX is guaranteed to sound thin with no bass. You're missing the required RIAA equalization to handle the signal from your TT cartridge - unless it's a cheapie type w/built-in phono preamp.

Does that Rotel have Phono input? If so, use that. If not, and if your TT doesn't have a phono preamp (the majority don't), you will need to buy a phono preamp in order to use your TT with this receiver.

Edit: I see from the online specs there is a Phono input... use that for your TT.

John

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I'm using a Jasmine LP2.5DU ...... forgot to mention that also using a REGA P3-24/PSU with a Nagaoka MP150 and PSB Synchrony Two towers all equipment with a slightly warm leaning

Ah, got it... figured anyone buying that Rotel would have that figured out, but around here you never know!

GLW the break-in and subsequent auditioning. Might try temporarily bypassing the phono pre and see if the TT and Rotel work together better, vs. using the outboard. Sometimes there's synergy between equipment, sometimes not.

John

dtreize said:

If it's anything like my RB-971 Mk ii, it will be bright and harsh (in its own way). I'm not sure I would use mine on metal dome tweeters. I like how it sounds on my B&W soft dome tweeters.

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Interesting. I have an older 1052 2ch receiver with an OPPO 93 and Titanium Tweeter JM Labs. I tamed the brightness with a pair of Groneburg ICs between the OPPO and Rotel.

dtreize said:

If it's anything like my RB-971 Mk ii, it will be bright and harsh (in its own way). I'm not sure I would use mine on metal dome tweeters. I like how it sounds on my B&W soft dome tweeters.

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If it doesn't get any better by next Monday it's going back and I don't think it can get a hold of my 4 Ohm speakers very well.
I have heard that the 1582 power amp is "warmer" so I may try it and the new preamp or a NAD C375BEE. I know that my NAD C325BEE sounds better to my ears but is underpowered.

Amazing change in the sound today it went from ear hurting thin and tinny to neutral with reasonable bass and imaging. I have never heard such a drastic change before, I was ready to put it back in the box and drive an hour and half to return it and drive another 90 minutes home, it really sound pretty darn smooth and musical. However it doesn't seem like my 4ohm, 88db speakers much. When playing Graceland and Take Five on the turntable it breaks up due to all the fast transients and seemingly little compression. The volume wasn't cranked either.
Guess I need more power.

Does the same thing with a Technics SL1300 Mk1 thru a Jasmine LP2.5DU

I found out the phono preamp seem to be the culprit, while
waiting for a furnace repair guy to shown up around 4AM I swapped all
the equipment around....speaker/cables/turntables and finally phonos.
I have a Channel Islands Audio VPP-1 that works perfectly with the
ROTEL. The Jasmine LP2.5DU worked with a Anthem Integrated 225 and a
NAD C325BEE but not with the ROTEL for some reason.
Anyone have an explanation why?

Thanks and I am still waiting in the cold for the repair guy.