Rotel RC 1070, RB 1050

[RFP]

Last week, I bought this amp/ pre-amp combo to pair with my Rotel 1072 CD player. I first auditioned at home the Rotel 1062 integrated amp and was thrilled by the synergy between that and the CD player. When I went back to the store to actually purchase it, I decided to listen to the 1070/1050 combination paired with the 1072 player. In the store this combo of separates seemed vastly superior to the 1062, but upon getting it home, the combo seemed mismatched with the player. The amp/pre-amp combo seemed to have a limited dynamic range, a mono-tonal quality in the midrange, and an overall slow and lumbering quality of presentation. I'm baffled that separates by the same manufacturer should have a poorer sound quality than an integrated amp. Also baffled that I listened to the 1072 paired with both the 1062 and the amp/pre amp combo in the store and the combo seemed clearly superior.

Has anyone done a similar test with these components?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Sasha]

Very similar experience, although not at home, all the listening was done at a retail store, in pretty much the same environment (same room, same speaker cables, etc.)
I listened to all the lineup from Rotel paired with B&W 704, with RCD 1072 as the source.
In the end I decided to go with integrated RA 1062, RCD 1072 and B&W 704. I would characterize the sonic quality of separates the same way you did, as compared to 1062, and that was the determining factor.
The only positive experience with separates was the perception of more bass, which was not a reason good enough to go with it, considering all other aspects of performance being poorer according to my ears.
I cannot explain it, maybe it has something to do with the choice of speakers or the wire?
I have seen/heard instances where changing the wire (not necessarily better quality per say) made unexpected difference for given combination of speakers and amp.

 

[Tom Andry]

Wait for it................................

 

[Rutlanda]

Wait for it................................

That's funny

 

[Privateer]

RFP are you using the same setup and inputs/outputs that the store was using?