Using a Yamaha RX vs a Rotel Pre/pro with Polk Speakers?

[Trunkmonkee]

I am trying to set up a new system. For speakers I have: Polk Monitor 70's (x2), Polk CS2, Paradigm Mini MkII (x2, for surrounds), and Boston A60 Series II (x2, for surrounds), in a 7.1 configuration (all are 8 ohms).

I'm trying to decide between a mid-level used Yamaha receiver, say a RX-V757, and a used Rotel pre/pro system (RMB 1075 (5ch) or RB 985 (5ch) amp, and RSP 1066 processor).

I don't care about HDMI, I'm happy to do that separately, but I prefer to have optical and at least some decoding (DTS/DD) for playing the PS3. So for me, tech within the last 10 years is fine, since I primarily listen to music and care more about quality.

Is getting a used Rotel system worth it? Or is it so far above and beyond my speaker system that I won't notice the difference? Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Seth=L]

I think you could certainly benefit from the stability of the Rotel amplifier with your speakers. The Rotel stuff is built really well, and has a good track record with measured performance. The SNR and Damping factor on their equipment should be above your average receiver.

Having said that, I'd not purchase any current Yamaha receiver. Their lower end models are a turn in the wrong direction as far as overal quality, and their upper end models have been in circulation for over a year now other than the RX-V2000 series receiver (can't recal exact model). Marantz and Denon seem to have some very nice, well rounded, and robust receivers.