Rotel 1582 any good ?

[High Fidelity]

Rotel 1582 seems to be excellent value but is it any good ? some reviews say it is too bright and lacks bass definition which seems strange for a 200 watt amp. Does it bear any comparison with a far bigger amplifier like the Parasound A21 which I find too large & heavy although I read it sounds excellent.

 

[PENG]

Rotel 1582 seems to be excellent value but is it any good ? some reviews say it is too bright and lacks bass definition which seems strange for a 200 watt amp. Does it bear any comparison with a far bigger amplifier like the Parasound A21 which I find too large & heavy although I read it sounds excellent.

IMO those subjective reviews are 80% waste of time. I read them too just for fun and reasons other than for facts. Surely most people would rate the A21 higher but I am pretty sure the outcome would have been different if the price tags of the two were reversed.

That Rotel is of class A/B design. Class A/B amps are a matured science/technologically based product. Rotel knows how to make them well and have been making them for years.

When shopping for class A/B amps I would consider manufacturers such as Rotel, Anthem, Bryston, Quad, ATI (don't know about them under recently), Cambridge Audio, Adcom, Parasound, used Krell, McIntosh etc., because they have been making amps for many years and have the conditions to make them right at reasonable prices. If operated within their limits, any of those amps I mentioned should all sound almost the same to people with normal hearing, unless people are subject to the influence of the well recognized Placebo effect.

If excellent value is what you are aimng for, then you may consider ID brands such as the well regarded Emotiva XPA-2, or step up some notches to the ATI models.

 

[High Fidelity]

Thanks for your reply but I get the impression that you have never heard the Rotel 1582 you support the dictum of the original Quad opinion that partly led to their demise, basically that all Class AB amplifiers operating within their limits will sound the same.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

200 WPC x 2ch into 8 ohms @ 0.03% THD from 20Hz-20kHz & 116dB SNR. Looks awesome and should sound just as great as any 200wpc amp to me.

 

[PENG]

Thanks for your reply but I get the impression that you have never heard the Rotel 1582

You could be right, I have heard severall Rotel amps before but did not pay enough attention to remember their model numbers.

you support the dictum of the original Quad opinion that partly led to their demise, basically that all Class AB amplifiers operating within their limits will sound the same.

Not really, I am not aware of "the original Quad opinion....", no idea what you are referring to. As to my opinion about class AB, no, I don't know why you thought that, if you re-read my post you would see that I specifically referred to the amps I listed only. Also I based my opinion not from hearsays but on my personal experience. I have auditioned many amps over the years, including tubes, class A, A/B, D etc., owned quite a few amps in the past and still currently own 5 power amps, 2 preamps, along with a few AVRs so I am basically sharing my own experience.

lastly, I hope you will soon get some responses from owners of the 1582. IMHO if you are seeking only opinions from those who have heard the 1582, fair enough, but if you also believe that well designed amps such as Rotel's would sound different even when operating within their limits, then I think naturally you will have to judge which one sounds better to you.

 

[High Fidelity]

Its pointless remarking about other amplifiers when I specifically requested opinion on Rotel 1582 ,unfortunately specifications do not tell me how the amplifier sounds, other factors are involved. I am suprised to find that Rotel show both Class 1 & Class 2 mains input configurations in the owners manual downloads, I only require the three wire system on a power amplifier which avoids any hum as has occured from speakers with the latest Quad Platinum amplifier that I have had to return for a refund IMO the Quad platinum is far too expensive for a Chinese made amplifier.

 

[PENG]

I am suprised to find that Rotel show both Class 1 & Class 2 mains input configurations in the owners manual downloads, I only require the three wire system on a power amplifier which avoids any hum as has occured from speakers with the latest Quad Platinum amplifier that I have had to return for a refund IMO the Quad platinum is far too expensive for a Chinese made amplifier.

Did you refer to the manual on the Rotel website? It says class 2 wiring for the speaker wiring only, not the power input, and that has to do with the governing electrical codes. I did not see anything like that specified for the power mains. It also shows a 2-wire main for the 1552 and 3-wire (with the ground pin) for the larger 1582 and that is understandable as they have to comply with codes such as the NEC in the US and CSA in Canada. The higher power units may require the use of the 3 wire system. Hums could be due to many things and could happen regardless of having a 2 or 3 wire power main. You will find that some NAD amps have the 2 wire mains as well.

 

[avengineer]

...I only require the three wire system on a power amplifier which avoids any hum as has occured from speakers...

There are as many conditions where the three-wire system causes hum as there are where it eliminates hum. The third pin is theoretically grounded, but electricians have a strange way of looking at what "grounded" means. Mostly, it's tied to the conduit which is tied to the main breaker box...sort of. Other installations have an actual ground wire returning to the breaker box. I had an electrician actually tell me that the ground wire could be a much lighter gauge than either hot or cold because it would never have to carry as much current. Well, hopefully not, but it's possible. On gear, the third wire is often there if the unit has to be UL approved. Getting UL approval without it requires "double insulating", which isn't usually practical in a device with a metal chassis, so the put in the third wire. I can promise you that the designer would have been happier without it in most cases.

Anyway, don't be fooled by the third wire, it's often more of a cause than a solution. Sounds like it was a solution in your particular case.

 

[High Fidelity]

that all Class AB amplifiers operating within their limits will sound the same.

This is what PJ. Walker founder of Quad used to say. Quad is no longer Quad it is IAG

 

[High Fidelity]

There are as many conditions where the three-wire system causes hum as there are where it eliminates hum. The third pin is theoretically grounded, but electricians have a strange way of looking at what "grounded" means. Mostly, it's tied to the conduit which is tied to the main breaker box...sort of. Other installations have an actual ground wire returning to the breaker box. I had an electrician actually tell me that the ground wire could be a much lighter gauge than either hot or cold because it would never have to carry as much current. Well, hopefully not, but it's possible. On gear, the third wire is often there if the unit has to be UL approved. Getting UL approval without it requires "double insulating", which isn't usually practical in a device with a metal chassis, so the put in the third wire. I can promise you that the designer would have been happier without it in most cases.

Anyway, don't be fooled by the third wire, it's often more of a cause than a solution. Sounds like it was a solution in your particular case.

Corect I will only buy a power amp that is Class 1 3 pin mains input which is the standard mains wall socket in the UK.

 

[adwilk]

OP... You really should audition this amp personally. Even if somebody here has extensive experience with it, its almost certain that his imagination will be different than yours and the input will most certainly skew any subjective conclusions you make upon listening.

Seriously though, I'd pass on this amp if I were you. Either people use what science and studies are available to them and believe that A/B amps operating in their limits will have no audible differences, ... Or they pursue the "best" sounding equipment and use a mixture of experience and peer reviews to help form their opinions. Placebo is always strong- You already don't like this amplifier because of the reviews- you probably won't ever like it.