Specifications for Rotel RB-985 mkII?

[S. Jensen]

Hello Folks,

I am considering getting an amp for my Harman Kardon AVR 5500 receiver (The equivalent to the US AVR 520) with the specifications of 5*75 watts at 45 amp. and 2*85 watts at 45 amp.

So far I only have the front speakers: Dynaudio Audience 82. But I am seeking a five channel amp since surround sound is only a center speaker away.

I have been looking at the Rotel RMB-1075 with 5*120 watts at 135 amps (and 2*150 watts at 135 amps). But it is a bit pricy even second hand. At least in Denmark.

Because of the steep prices I have looked into the Rotel RB-985 mkII which is quite affordable. I have read some good reviews and it seems that it has 5*100 watts. But there are some specifications I can't seem to find.

Now my questions are:
1: How many amps does the RB-985 have?
2: Does it have more watts in pure two-channel stereo? (like the RMB-1075)
3: Bying second hand: What is the maximum age such an amp should have?

Finally: Will I get significantly better performance and control out of my Dynaudio Audience 82 with this amp?

Best regards,

S. Jensen

[psonic]

1: How many amps does the RB-985 have?
2: Does it have more watts in pure two-channel stereo? (like the RMB-1075)
3: Bying second hand: What is the maximum age such an amp should have?

1) 40 amps (fairly meaningless spec, the amp is rated for 4ohm speaks)
2) up to 220 wpc into 4 ohm (it will have more dynamic headroom, current reserve into 2ch)
3) IMO around 10-15 yrs, I would probably not buy anything older than 1990 and I have had excellent luck with several used amps newer than 1990 (and 1 older)

take a look:

http://www.rotel.com/support/pdfs/manuals/rb985.pdf

[kexodusc]

Hmmm...amp life depends how it is treated obviously. And no matter how much you like the owner, you'll just never really know.
But I've owned alot of SS amps older than 10-15 years that performed as well, or better than some new ones. They don't rot, or decay and should fairly reliable, or at least cheap to maintain.
My dad used a Nad 3140 I have now at work for 12 years, sometime left on for weeks at a time. It got retired in 1995, when I stole it and used as a party amp up until 2 years ago. Just took it out again this year, and still sounds fine.
Adcom, Rotel, and NAD amps in particular from the 80's and newer seem to still be running quite strong and are in abundance on ebay, audiogon, and other such websites.

As for better "performance and control"...You'll get more power, have less burden on your receivers power supply during demanding sections of a movie or whatever. This can give you less distortion and better sound. Not sure what you mean by "control" though.
The H/K shouldn't be having a problem with your speakers.

[psonic]

The H/K shouldn't be having a problem with your speakers.

IMO the Audience 82 is a difficult speaker for a receiver power supply that is also powering 3 or more other channels, let alone 2ch mode. This speaker somewhat inefficient and has a tough impedance range of 3.5-14, though I don't know how smooth the curve is..

Jenson my suggestion is to find a local dealer who will give you a weekend tryout of something in your price range. I surely found a very nice improvement moving from a 40wpc NAD integrated to Rotel 130wpc amp with a pair of smaller . You could also consider 2ch amp while driving the center and rears with the H/K. Anyway, a home audition is the only way for you to find out (sans buying unseen).

[S. Jensen]

Thank you very much for your inputs - they are helpful.

Psonic: I am glad you know about the Audience 82. I am very happy about the speaker. It performs very well with stereo music and when watching movies I get surprised how low and powerful the bass suddenly goes. Lovely!

What speakers and amp do you use?

I think the lowest impedance for the speakers is 3.9 Ohms. My dealer - who seems like an honest audio enthusiast - recommends a more powerful amp with my speakers for a more defined bass and better sound i general (once again, they sound good but they can sound even better).

He suggested that I could borrow a few different Rotels for an extended weekend - which is a very good policy. He suggested a few amps as well as a surround receiver. But the Rotels are a bit expensive, so I am now looking into second-hand stuff. I can borrow them without any obligation to buy them and then see they are any improvement before considering buying a new one or a second-hand one.

I thought about a stereo amp, but I suspect that the soundstage in surround will sound uneven with different power in the channels. I am a bit anxious about the centerspeaker being powered by my receiver while the front speakers are hooked up to more poverful amp. But that is perhaps theory - is it a problem in real life?

Once again, thank you for the thoughts! Please come with more opinions and advice!

Best regards,

S. Jensen

[kexodusc]

Will I get significantly better performance and control out of my Dynaudio Audience 82 with this amp?

IMO the Audience 82 is a difficult speaker for a receiver power supply that is also powering 3 or more other channels, let alone 2ch mode. This speaker somewhat inefficient and has a tough impedance range of 3.5-14, though I don't know how smooth the curve is..

The power supply in that h/k receiver is in fact larger than a lot 60-80 watt 2 channel amplifiers, including some I own made by Rotel and Adcom. I have no doubt that more power is going to yield better results in your system, but I still maintain that your receiver shouldn't be having any problem driving the 2 speakers you have now.

As you add more speakers you may find difficulty. I did with my Yamaha RX-V1400 receiver. It's rated at 110 watts per channel X 7, but with 7 speakers running at once it is painfully overmatched, so I added some Adcom power amps. All is good.

I must say, I did notice quite an improvement in my relatively inefficient Vifa driver floorstanders as well when I upgraded to an RA-1070 from a NAD 3140. The extra power certainly makes louder music sound cleaner, with fuller bass.

But at 85 watts X 2 channels from a competent receiver and power supply, with only 2 speakers connected, I have some reservation as to whether more power is the answer, or ifthe problem may be the speaker placement, room acoustics or some other phenomenon.

[psonic]

But at 85 watts X 2 channels from a competent receiver and power supply, with only 2 speakers connected, I have some reservation as to whether more power is the answer, or ifthe problem may be the speaker placement, room acoustics or some other phenomenon.

Possibly, but that is why I recommended a home demo - to compare A / B and see for himself. As for me, I used to have a H/K AVR45 60wpc ($1000 new in 99) running a fairly efficient pair of Boston CR9. Then I aquired a NAD 40wpc integrated, well the H/K got spanked in every respect, clarity, less tizzy shrill highs, tighter bass. That receiver had a massive power supply in there (though with far less capacitance), even larger than the better sounding NAD 304. I can only imagine how much better things can get for him with a fairly difficult speaker like the Audience 82. But again, that is for him to try and decide. Heck if it were me, I'd ditch the reciever all together and go integrated or separates. Maybe its the preamp in the reciever that is weak, not the amp...not really sure but one or both was in my H/K.


Jenson it looks like my sentance was cut off for some reason. I have a smaller pair of Audience 60. Very nice sound with tight bass for a smaller room. I have moved from the NAD to a Rotel RB981 130wpc with a rotel RSP-960AX preamp. Very happy with this setup, the preamp is a late 90s prologic surround style, but it has an awesome stereo direct option. Got great reviews for its stereo sound, and I've seen them on Ebay for ~ $100-150. Probably because it is not DTS or DD compatible, but it's a steal of a stereo preamp, remote controlled too. Let us know how you make out! Go get your amp to demo!

[kexodusc]

Possibly, but that is why I recommended a home demo - to compare A / B and see for himself. As for me, I used to have a H/K AVR45 60wpc ($1000 new in 99) running a fairly efficient pair of Boston CR9. Then I aquired a NAD 40wpc integrated, well the H/K got spanked in every respect, clarity, less tizzy shrill highs, tighter bass. That receiver had a massive power supply in there (though with far less capacitance), even larger than the better sounding NAD 304. I can only imagine how much better things can get for him with a fairly difficult speaker like the Audience 82. But again, that is for him to try and decide. Heck if it were me, I'd ditch the reciever all together and go integrated or separates. Maybe its the preamp in the reciever that is weak, not the amp...not really sure but one or both was in my H/K.

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if the pre-amp was the weak link in the H/K receiver. My old NAD 3140 produces the same, less shrill, better clarity, tighter, richer bass than my RX-V1400 through my Studio 40's. Doesn't have as much juice I suppose, but it plays loud enough. I think a solid pre-amp is the most neglected piece in the stereo chain, receivers just don't seem to underperform when it comes to analog sources (though I must say I haven't noticed much difference with digital sources).

Jenson: I don't mean to suggest you have more than enough power, I just always like to eliminate all possibilities before upgrading. I've made the mistake of buying NAD power amps to get better sound, mostly for bass response. Turns out my room was far too busy and all the power in the world wasn't going to make as much impact as a few area rugs, plants etc at deadening the room down.

The A/B is the best thing you can do at this point. You'll quickly noticed the improvements and changes available to you. The H/K should be able to handle the center and surround speakers, but I'll echo psonic's suggestion of a 2-channel power amp as a minimum for the mains. Especially if you watch alot of epic movies with big soundtracks like Lord of the Rings or whatever.

BTW: How do you guys like the Audience speakers? Any complaints?