I am confused here and need some help they both sound great and the dealers ofcourse praise their own brand. I have not found any comparison between these models here. I would really appreciate if anyone could shed some light on here.
NAD is priced at $2999 and has 7x160 W/ch Rotel is priced at $1999 and has 5x200 w/ch
Icineema, did you listen to these when at the dealers - which did you like best? It comes down to what your ears like and your budget. Your question is really a bit obtuse and no one will be able to be much help unless you can tell us what the source is, what speakers you have, what preamps these will be paired with. What do you want your system to do - is it for ht or music or for both. Do you really need 7.1 or is 5.1 adequate? Give all the info you can for some help, but in the end it's what you like - not what someone else likes.
Hi Sorry for being too Vague there. I have a Denon AVR 3805 currently now and I am planning to upgrade to either Rotels Pre Amp or Nad M series but wanted to try the Amp first with my current setup and see if indeed for my listening its worth spending all that money on Pre's or not. I have Monitor Audio speakers Silver RS6 series. I kind of enjoy both music and movies equally and my intention is to enjoy both on the upgraded systems. Apologies once more.
Okay, if I have this right you want to use your Denon AVR as a pre amp first. You have a quandary, unless you can get in home demos, or cart your AVR and speakers to those dealers it will be difficult for you to make a decision. A matched combo would always be preferable of course, but because I don't know your speakers I can't really offer much to help. Hopefully, someone who has heard them -especially with those amps - may chime in. Also, it may not hurt to mention what you think is wrong (or missing) with your system as it is.
400dB could probably d...,
SouthWest Mi...
Too Many DBs...
Post Number: 824 Registered: Dec-06
Posted on
I myself was thinking of getting the Rotel RSP-1068/98 and use my receiver's multichannel inputs and the Scott as a surround amplifier, then get like that Rotel 5x200 watt, so many choices on what to do.
I have heard those amps and their is a real difference in the sound, but both are really nice amps. You can run either off of your Denon receiver using the pre-outs on the receiver. Check your owner's manual about how to shut the receiver's amp down, so that you can reserve the power for the pre/pro section.
First, do not get hung up on the power ratings. To the novice, it appears that the Rotel is the more powerful amp, but it doesn't sound that way, for two reasons. First, NAD is very conservative with their power ratings. Bench test have shown that NAD amps typically deliver 15% more power than their rating (which would add about 25 more wpc than the rating). Second, the NAD is a warmer sounding amp than the Rotel. What this primarily means is that the NAD has a fuller, richer sounding bass and lower midrange. Hence, it sounds like the bigger amp, even at lower listening levels.
Now, which one you should get is going to depend upon three factors:
1. your speakers;
2. your room; and
3. ultimately, your musical tastes.
If you have very warm sounding speakers, I would lean towards the Rotel, as the warmth is already in your speakers and the Rotel has a leaner sound that works great with very warm speakers. Conversely, if you have speakers that are leaner sounding, such as Totems, I think the NAD would make for a better choice. But, even with a very warm sounding speaker, the NAD can sound great. I have heard Paradigm Studios (a very warm speaker) driven by NAD amps and the sound is absolutely gorgeous to listen to. So, while speakers are a definite factor, they are not the deciding factor, in and of themselves, but they are a factor.
Your room will also affect the sound. Is the room very large or a bit on the small size? Does it have deep pile carpeting and heavy drapes? As M.R. states, you really need to do an in-home demo of the amp (a test drive, if you will) to see how the amp interacts with the sound of the room, and with your speakers to really know if it is the right amp.
Now, as I said, it ultimately comes down to your musical tastes. I do not mean rock versus classical or jazz vs. hip-hop, but what presentation sounds like the real thing to you. I have both a Rotel amp in my study (where I do most of my musical listening) and an NAD amp in my home theater, so I can readily hear the differences between the two sounds. Many people prefer the leaner sound of the Rotel as to them it sounds so "clean." Others prefer the richer sound of the NAD, as they find it more involving. Since this is your system, you have to decide which sound is right for you. In my mind, there is no "better" in the absolute sense, they are just different. Which one is the better sounding to you is something only you can judge.
I am using a Rotel 1075 with Klipsch speakers (reference 35's) I don't think many "recommend" the combo, but I found it to sound good. I do have a real good sub to fill in the low's though, so maybe that makes a difference with the "richer sounding bass from the NAD".
I think Nuck kinda hit it on the head. It all really depends on how it sounds in your room to your ears. Both places should allow you to take the amp home at the very least for the night. Try to hit them up on a saturday night and get it for all day sunday and return it on monday. That's what i did with the rotel and decided I was going to keep it.
Many thanks to all of you to pitch in such valuable advice. Infact I visited both the dealers but only got to listen to Rotel so far and since its at the dealer place they sounded just perfect. The NAD dealer actually offered to take the AMP home and try it out before I decide which is nice of him. I will go that route and see if it works out. As you all suggested and kind of hinted that the room size plays a huge role, we just moved out of our house to an apartment so that defenitely is goiong to be a big change. I guess my speakers are little warm ones but currently they sound weak with the Denon and hence I am going for the Amp. And since HDMI 1.3 is gonna be out by the middle of 07 I dont want to invest on the pre amp now. I will go get the NAD M25 from the dealer and then will try it at home most probably to keep it :-)
ic, well done! Getting the thing in your home is the way to go. Please try the Rotel the same way, tell dealer X that dealer Y sent you home with an amp.
I have great faith in good dealerships, and all that a good one can do for you.
Nuck: Just out of curiosity (I may be in the amp market soon here), ic is looking at a $2-3,000 amp...can someone who is going to spend say, $800 on an amp expect the dealer to send one home for a test drive?
Hi, Scott. I have to say...maybe. The pre-loved products are easier to send out for a trial, maybe a demo model, too. It really comes down to the relationship you build with your dealer(s).
Like some others here, I stress that relationship quite often. Just a business relationship is fine, but meeting up with a good dealer can be rewarding in more ways than just one sale.
The main dealer I go to, for example, sent me on my way with several thousand dollars worth of stuff, and I kept it for 3 months before the deal was finished. I am not suggesting that this is the norm, but not that rare, either.
It is a matter of trust, communication and a common bond of the hobby/obsession.