I'm sure Joey has made his decision and is probably not following this thread any longer. For others investigating Rotel:
I don't understand why some of the respondents hold Rotel in such low regard. Here are my experiences. I had at one time a NAD 7250PE (old, but well regarded), a Nakamichi Receiver 2 (old but very, very highly regarded. My first true love. Blew away all the Marantz and Carvers.) and a Rotel RX-1052 I picked up for $200.Yes, I know they are all receivers and as all audiophiles know, therefore inherently inferior. Can you smell my sarcasm?
By brand reputation in today's market the NAD should have won the comparison. Actually, in my opinion it came in a distant last and I sold it for more than the Rotel cost me. The speakers involved were Boston Acoustics T-830s, Genesis Physics Model 7s, PSB Imagine XBs and Canton Ergo 1002DCs. Quite a disparate grouping. The Nak may have won with the Genesis and PSBs; but the Rotel surprised me by winning by a considerable margin with the larger 3-ways. The listening area is fairly large; but the primary listening location is 10' from the speakers. I prefer a detailed presentation with very good staging. No artificially warm crap for me. (I don't know why I bought those PSBs!)
I've heard older Krells and I find the bass to be exaggerated. I understand the newer integrateds may not have this characteristic. On my wish list to upgrade the Rotel currently are a Prima Luna Prologue (could it drive the Cantons?) or a Belles Aria. I've heard both and they are divine. However, when I heard them it was with speakers costing several times more than the Cantons and with cables costing probably 100 times more. Who knows how they'll sound when/if I get them in my system. Maybe I'll listen to a newer Krell or Bryston if I get rich. But for $200 this Rotel rocks! And they are not rare.
