7/28/2023 0 Comments Surround pre amp![]() And then, assuming you've made all the connections correctly, you have to specify the speaker configuration, set levels and delays for each speaker, determine the subwoofer crossover settings and level (which can be different for each surround mode), match up video and audio inputs, set up the default surround modes for each input, adjust the tone controls for fronts, center, and surrounds, and make a host of other settings that may make you wish for the simplicity of 2-channel stereo. So many cables, so many plugs-so many ways to screw up. Conversely, for the individual who has not yet mastered setting the time on a VCR, the process can be daunting in the extreme. In my opinion, the range of surround formats and modes has now reached a level that I can describe only as bewildering however, the RSP-1068's owner's manual has some of the clearest explanations I've seen of these formats and modes.įor those experienced in setting up home theater systems, integrating the RSP-1068 into one should not prove too difficult. The surround modes include the usual Dolby and DTS array, plus the new Dolby Pro Logic IIx for 6.1- and 7.1-channel systems, Rotel's own XS 6.1 and 7.1 surround, and DTS 24/96. Also included is a feature that I've seen only in very high-end pre-pros, and not all of them: all-channel audio delay, which corrects problems with lip-syncing created by the delay of the video signal due to extensive video processing. There are also independent crossover adjustments for each channel, independent subwoofer settings for each surround mode, and a wider selection of subwoofer crossover frequencies, as well as user-specified power-on volume, volume-change speed, and maximum volume. The tone controls (which Rotel refers to as equalization) may now be separately adjusted for each channel (except in the multichannel bypass mode, of course). The power of the RSP-1068's new 32-bit DSP chip permits a great deal of additional flexibility in audio signal processing. Like the RSP-1066, the RSP-1068 is software-upgradeable. The RS-232 connection allows a host of new changes, including discrete volume access for both the main and second zones, discrete power on and off commands for Zone 2, etc. The RSP-1066 had a pretty extensive collection of inputs and outputs the RSP-1068 retains all these and adds a third set of component-video inputs and a Zone 2 composite-video output-and the multichannel input/output now has eight channels rather than seven. (The RSP-1066 I reviewed had only 10MHz bandwidth switching, though it was improved to 100MHz in later production.) And new with the RSP-1068 is its ability to convert composite and S-video signals to component video. On the video side, the RSP-1068 has 100MHz bandwidth component-video switching, which is high enough for HDTV. The circuit boards are made of a high-quality fiberglass that, according to Rotel's Mike Bartlett, is of a grade typically seen in much more expensive products. Less glamorous than the changes in chips but probably at least as important for sound quality is the change in power supply: the EI transformer has been replaced by a toroidal unit with higher output, and there are bigger power-supply capacitors and bigger heatsinks to accommodate the additional current. The A/D converters are now 24-bit/96kHz compared to 20/48 in the RSP-1066 the new DSP chip is a 32-bit Cirrus Logic CS49400, replacing the 24-bit CS49326 (a big increase in processing capability) and the new DACs are 24/192, not 24/96. For the RSP-1068, all three components have been significantly upgraded from those used in the RSP-1066. The Rotel RSP-1068 is an evolution of the RSP-1066 that incorporates more advanced digital technology, even more features, and additional refinements of analog circuitry.Ī surround preamplifier-processor has three digital components: A/D converter (for analog sources that are to undergo processing rather than being passed through), DSP chip (for surround and other audio-processing functions), and D/A converter (for producing the analog output). For pre-pros, there are always new DSP chips and D/A converters coming down the pipeline, and the folks at Dolby Labs and DTS are always introducing new surround modes. However, all products that include digital components suffer from the phenomenon of built-in obsolescence, and no manufacturer of such products can afford to rest long on their laurels. The last Rotel surround preamp-processor I reviewed was the RSP-1066, in January 2003, and it was a honey: good-sounding, full-featured, and priced at an affordable $1499. Rotel has been in the audio business for four decades, and they were among the first to recognize the importance of the developing home theater market.
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