Too much for LSiC?

zx_toth · May 2008

Hey guys,

Just wanted an opinion on amp matching with an LSiC that I have ordered (Cant wait to go home and check the tracking information of my order). You can check my system showcase for an idea of what Im working with ... the short story is that I have LSi25s for fronts powered by a Rotel RMB-1080 amp (200 watts channel in 8 ohms)

http://www.rotel.com/NA/products/ProductDetails.htm?Id=8&Tab=1&Pic=1

I was considering going with the Rotel RMB- 1091 Class D amp due to space restrictions. This mono channel amp however is 500 watts in 8 ohms which is a bit of an overkill for the LSiC I think .... my other option is get a 2 channle RMB 1092 500 watts per channel in 8 ohms and use that new amp for the hungrier LSi 25s.

A third option is go cheaper and use a RMB-1072 2 channel 100 watts in 8 ohms using it in a bi-wired scheme... save money and say 'good enough its powering the center'

Comments? ....

I probably will go with Class D due to space limitations and due to anal retentiveness may stick to the Rotel brand. :-)

Thanks ahead of time.

Zsolt

Gaara · May 2008

Would you stick with Rotel even if you could get the same or better for less $?

IMO a RMB 1091 would be way overkill.

zx_toth · May 2008

If better for less were available locally I would I suppose .... I would be interested in entertaining ideas for mono channel solutions for the LSiC.

Thanks Gaara.

Zsolt

Gaara · May 2008

Well many here use D-Sonic, their Magnum 1000S uses the same modules as the Rotel and should be almost identical...for $1k less then the RB-1092. To bad you are in Canada, there is one on Agon for less then 1/2 the price of the rotel.

There are lots of options for ice power modules, hell you could get a Murano mono for ~ $350 have as much power as that 1072.

AndyGwis · May 2008

You should be able to pick up a mono somewhere for a few hundred bucks. Throwing 1000watts at it would probably be a bit of overkill. Outlaw has monos for $300.

AWESOME looking setup, btw. Very classy.

zx_toth · May 2008

Gaara: Thanks for the alternatives, I will investigate them online. From your previous posts Ive read its seems like you've auditioned/owned alot of amps in your time so I know you've heard many .... I on the other hand have had no such luxury and the store I frequent doesnt seem very audition friendly. Because you buy up front and can get a replacement it probably would be frowned upon to keep trading amps in exchange for another one that they would have to order. Im visiting tommorow so I see what they have instock.

Andy: Thanks for the compliment. As with all most of our setups, it is a work in progress ... so I hope to keep it sounding as good as I can for myself and as classy looking as I can for my wife

I have investigated the Outlaw monoblock last year and their shipping costs were 300$ to Canada. And though I would still have money left over if I was initially going with the Rotel, the idea of me being ripped of that much for shipping leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I urged them to consider shipping it UPS which would than transfer to Canadapost for 30-40$ but they wouldnt despite the fact that the package was udner 35 lbs ... so I said I would than have to cancel my order.

Zsolt

Gaara · May 2008

zx_toth wrote: »

Gaara: Thanks for the alternatives, I will investigate them online. From your previous posts Ive read its seems like you've auditioned/owned alot of amps in your time so I know you've heard many .... I on the other hand have had no such luxury and the store I frequent doesnt seem very audition friendly. Because you buy up front and can get a replacement it probably would be frowned upon to keep trading amps in exchange for another one that they would have to order.

I tried a bunch of amps by buying used when the price was right. In the end I got to try a lot of different amps for the cost of shipping.

The Rotels you are looking at use the asp icepower modules. These are plug and play, they are all the same from B&O so the only thing the mfg needs to add is wiring and a case. Because of that I recommend going with the smaller brands as they will be the same inside as the Rotel, but without the premium.

I myself am using EVS amps that are supped up versions of the Bel Canto Ref 1000s, except they sold for 1/2 the price of the Bel Cantos.

SlowcarIX · May 2008

Gaara wrote: »

Well many here use D-Sonic, their Magnum 1000S uses the same modules as the Rotel and should be almost identical...for $1k less then the RB-1092. To bad you are in Canada, there is one on Agon for less then 1/2 the price of the rotel.

There are lots of options for ice power modules, hell you could get a Murano mono for ~ $350 have as much power as that 1072.

happen to switch one module from my amp...

B&O IcePower 1000ASP module:

Gaara · May 2008

From a 6 moons review of the Ref 1000s. D-Sonic Price: $1950/pr, Rotel Price $3000/pr, Bel Canto price: $4000/pr.

...and my EVS 500M that retailed for $2k/pr.

zx_toth · May 2008

Just came back from my day trip to the Pro audio store. I actually ended up choosing a Rotel RMB- 1085 ...

http://www.rotel.com/NA/products/ProductDetails.htm?Id=468&Tab=2&Pic=1

This decision was related to the Rotel 1072, where I knew I didnt need monsterous amounts of power to power the LSic but decided taht since I will eventually move to seperates (1-3 years time) I might as well invest now in a 5 channel to compliment the 2 channel RMB-1080 for the LSi25s.

The only unfortunate thing is that the remaining 4 channels wont be used for some time. The reading Ive done doesnt suggest bi-wiring the center would do anything really, and not sure if there would be any improvements in the surrounds by going with the Rotel instead of amplifier section in my Denon 2807. At this time I dont want to invest a few hundred in analog interconnects just for the surrounds.

So in the end I went with a modified version of choice 3 ...

Should have the amp within 10-14 days Im told.

Thanks again,

Zsolt

ben62670 · May 2008

You could bi-amp the fronts, and maybe the center.
Ben

Gaara · June 2008

zx_toth wrote: »

Just came back from my day trip to the Pro audio store. I actually ended up choosing a Rotel RMB- 1085 ...

http://www.rotel.com/NA/products/ProductDetails.htm?Id=468&Tab=2&Pic=1

This decision was related to the Rotel 1072, where I knew I didnt need monsterous amounts of power to power the LSic but decided taht since I will eventually move to seperates (1-3 years time) I might as well invest now in a 5 channel to compliment the 2 channel RMB-1080 for the LSi25s.

The only unfortunate thing is that the remaining 4 channels wont be used for some time. The reading Ive done doesnt suggest bi-wiring the center would do anything really, and not sure if there would be any improvements in the surrounds by going with the Rotel instead of amplifier section in my Denon 2807. At this time I dont want to invest a few hundred in analog interconnects just for the surrounds.

So in the end I went with a modified version of choice 3 ...

Should have the amp within 10-14 days Im told.

Thanks again,

Zsolt

Zsolt, great bang for your buck there plus it matches your other Rotel gear. Do give your impression once you have it up and running, the reviews I have read seem to be very good, some placing it even better then the 1095. I would definitely recommend eventually trying it on your fronts even though it is "only" 100wpc.

zx_toth · June 2008

Gaara: Interestingly there is a $1400 CAD dollar retail difference between the 7 channel 1077 and the 5 channel 1085. I believe there is an additional technology hiding in the casing of the 1077 but it did not say so in the glossy Rotel literature that the dealer was showing and he couldnt understand why there was such a big difference between the two.

I will attempt a review once I recieve the amp, though admittedly my lack of experience with a variety of amps will hinder the reviews usefulness to others. I will certainly give my impressions compared to the 1080 and how the 1085 drives the LSi25s and LSiC.

Zsolt

Gaara · June 2008

Sweet. The difference in price is probably the difference in modules, the 1085 uses a more recent 5ch icepower module that B&O came out with, while the 1077 used a older design which I read somewhere was custom made for Rotel. I have only read one comparison (on HT Guide i think) and it favored the 1085 over the 1077, but there was very little difference.

I may eventually pick one of these up if the price is right.