ROTEL RSX1058..or.. ARCAM AVR350???

[mr. alan]

Hey guys, I am going to replace my Yamaha RX V1600 reciever soon and have narrowed it down to a, Rotel RSX1058 or a Arcam AVR350. Cant afford new stuff, or seperates, so a couple year old stuff is good for me. I am more interested in great stereo reproduction than movie soundtracks.
Any of you all have or had either of these units and what are your views???
I also am going to upgrade my DVD player and would like to find a "GOOD" universal player from the same maker with more interest in audio than video.
My NAD C521BEE is good, but, if one of these makers puts out a good universal, I will buy that. I am not going Blu-Ray just yet, dont watch that many movies. Stereo is still king to me !
I am running 5.1 and have a Acoustic Energy speaker system. Thanks for your comments.

 

[PENG]

Are you in the U.K? If you are, great, but if you are in the Americas you may end up paying premium for those gear. Most British reviews tend to rate the RX-V receivers as (or almost) good as the Arcam and definitely higher than the Rotel and NAD gear. Adding an amp to your RX-V1600 may also be a viable option.

Of the two you listed, I prefer the Arcam because I know their quality is top notch. I have never heard a Rotel AVR but their amps sound good to me. On paper though, the Arcam has better specs than the Rotel.

As for universal players, I love my Denon 3910. The newer model 3930 must be better and it has the Reon on board for video upconversion/upscaling to enhance DVD viewing.

 

[greggp2]

I have a Rotel RSX-1056. It is the same as the 1058 without the HDMI capability. I have an Arcam on order and it should arrive this coming week. I can let you know first hand which is better, but from all I've read, the Arcam is supposed to be far superior.

In terms of a good all in one player, the new Oppo Blu-Ray player should be your best bet. For $500, you will get a Blu-Ray, DVD with up scaler, DVD-A, SACD, CD, etc. in one unit. Initial response from the Beta testing group has been very positive...

Hey guys, I am going to replace my Yamaha RX V1600 reciever soon and have narrowed it down to a, Rotel RSX1058 or a Arcam AVR350. Cant afford new stuff, or seperates, so a couple year old stuff is good for me. I am more interested in great stereo reproduction than movie soundtracks.
Any of you all have or had either of these units and what are your views???
I also am going to upgrade my DVD player and would like to find a "GOOD" universal player from the same maker with more interest in audio than video.
My NAD C521BEE is good, but, if one of these makers puts out a good universal, I will buy that. I am not going Blu-Ray just yet, dont watch that many movies. Stereo is still king to me !
I am running 5.1 and have a Acoustic Energy speaker system. Thanks for your comments.

 

[CraigV]

If your Yamaha can act as a pre-amp, have you considered adding a power amp?

 

[mperfct]

I guess we could start with what you don't like about your Yamaha. Rotel and Arcam have some panache, no doubt, but that doesn't really mean they are what you are truly looking for.

 

[greggp2]

It sounds like he is looking for a good stereo receiver for music. If this is the case, then I would agree that you should either look at Arcam, Rotel or NAD, or possibly go with a good 2 channel amp and a pre-amp.

 

[igor_f]

Rotel 1056 or Arcam AVR300

I tried to find firm answer for this question but usually it is matter of taste with edge in Arcam side. I would use it more for HT then 2ch music, but considering spending that money would prefer to have best from both worlds.
My front speakers are Energy RC-50. sorce of the signal would be media PC.
Is it worth to pay extra 250$ on used Arcam vs Rotel? Is it really big difference in 2d and how about HT differences.

Especially would be interested on opinion of those who herd this recievers in comparison.

Thanks everybody for your comments!

 

[DaleAV]

Rotel is excellent, plus I like the 'looks'..but I would pick Arcam for dynamics and reserve. Not huge diffs here, but the devil is in the details.
(of course I'm biased..)

 

[John Bailey]

I've had many NAD amps and while shopping I've audition Rotel. While mine have all been in lower power models, my latest amp, an Arcam AVR 100, sounds superior to me. I've always looked for the NAD sound with the same imaging but with a bit more depth to the sound. The Arcam gives that to me. My system is set up for music, but when the wife wanted something for movies also, I switched to a 5.1 receiver. The Arcam gives me the stereo I want with the option of adding speakers for movies for the wife.

So, my suggestion is the Arcam 350 seems a whoppin' good receiver.

John

 

[Lordoftherings]

I've had many NAD amps and while shopping I've audition Rotel. While mine have all been in lower power models, my latest amp, an Arcam AVR 100, sounds superior to me. I've always looked for the NAD sound with the same imaging but with a bit more depth to the sound. The Arcam gives that to me. My system is set up for music, but when the wife wanted something for movies also, I switched to a 5.1 receiver. The Arcam gives me the stereo I want with the option of adding speakers for movies for the wife.

So, my suggestion is the Arcam 350 seems a whoppin' good receiver.

John

+1

I totally agree with that statement.

Bob