Sc-07 or rsp-1570 aka avr or preamp for processing

[Steven_1085]

Hello audio experts I need your help,
I am currently using an avr as a preamp to my rotel 1085 amp but I want a newer processor with more features and better audio quality. I'm becoming frustrated looking for a pre-amp that is bug free and feature rich. I am thinking of getting the rotel 1570(as high as I can spend) but am also thinking of the pioneer sc-07 as I quite like the gui and the feature set.

Would the preamp offer far superior performance over the sc-07 in multi channel and 2 channel? Can any owners of the above comment on the performance?

Please respond back as this hobby is going to drive me nuts soon.
Thanks

[Sherardp]

Welcome to the club Steven. I own the SC-07 and use it as a pre/pro with excellent results. The SC-07 is feature rich which is why I purchased it to begin with. It does an excellent job with 2 channel also so I dont think you would be disappointed in any regard. The prices are very good on both the SC-07 and the 05, so you may want to look at the 05 if youre only using it as a pre which will save you some coin. I have my 07 paired with 2 channel D-Sonic and 5 Channel Sunfire I recently purchased. I think for the price and features the 05/07 will definitely amaze you. I'm sure others will jump in as I have zero knowledge of Rotel gear. Mantis has worked with both Elite and Rotel so I'm sure he will chime in. Let us know how it goes.

[mantis]

Steve,
Welcome to the club.

I owned a full Rotel separate system in the Rsp1068 pre and the RMB1095 power amp. I was in the same boat as you looking for a preamp to replace the Rotel 1068. It was a completely frustrating adventure. Never before have I had so many problems just trying to buy a new preamp. Every one I looked at had short coming's I was unwilling to live with. I considered using a Pioneer Elite receiver(even before the Sc models) as I have Installed a few as Pre's with wonderful results.

I would not buy the Rotel rsp1570 due to all it's short coming's. People are having problems with it, audio drop outs, missing 3 seconds off a cd in Digital, the list goes on. Not to mention no Room correction , no THX , No Ipod control or any kind of radio. Ok I can live with some of that missing , Digital music servers are can be external as well as Radio of all kinds but if the preamp was solid and missing all of the above, I might have purchased it. But I didn't.

I picked a Sc-07 and used it as a preamp up until lastnight. So for the past 2 weeks, I have lived with the Sc-07 as a pre. I loved every single second of it. I felt like I got my cake and ate it . The Sc-07 is a wonderful Preamp, and for what you can pick one up for now is a no brainer. You can use it until someone makes a preamp worth buying. I almost took home a Integra 9.9 preamp but I don't care for Integra sound quality. I do however like what the 9.9 stands for and I really like everything it can do. It's pretty badass for the price. For that kind of money, if you like the way it sound, you don't want to use any analog inputs, this is a golden piece until someone else makes a better preamp.

My considerations for a new preamp where Rotel rsp1069 then the rsp1570, NAD T175 before the HD , Integra 9.8 and then 9.9 , B&K ref70 , Marantz av8003 , and I kinda considered the Anthem D2 or AVM50 but I felt they cost silly money for there short comings as well.

Dan

[joeparaski]

I got a chance to listen to an Sc-07 just tonight and was quite impressed too. A friend of mine just purchased one, he upgraded from the Pioneer VSX 1016, which I will be using while my pre-pro gets serviced.

Man, I had no idea these machines had such a fancy calibration procedure! All I've known is the simple tone and spl meter calibration method. The VSX 1016 has some of these features to so I'll get to play around with that for the next week or so.

Joe