I have be using this amp for about
6 months now and can't be any happier.
110 watts x 5 THX. Clean sound.
I watch a lot of movies and what a differance this amp makes. pure power.
Great for music.

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Nad B&K

The 985 is truly one of the best 5 channel HT power amps out there. I've had mine for about a month now and I have no complaints. Got mine at my local high-end shop for $950. I have it hooked up to a Marantz AV-550 going through Paradigm Ref spkrs. and the sound is incredible! If you looking for a 5-ch power amp under a grand that does HT and music well...get the 985.

Detailed, clean power. Mid-range seems especially warm. Reveals weaknesses in my source components. Visual asthetics/build quality.

Heat. Reveals weaknesses in my source components.

I'm a two channel fan, so when I was offered a great deal on a five channel Amp, I decided to bi-amp my Linn Tukan speakers. I purchased a new Rotel RC-1070 pre-amp and I simply couldn't be happier. It doesn't rival the reference systems at my favorite hi-fi shops, but it comes very close and for me, it's about as good as I have ever heard in a real-world environment. With two different pre-amps that I auditioned, Rotel RC-995 and RC-1070 the amp did a fine job of bringing every little nuance out. It did sound better with better source compenents in the store (I have a Philips dvd player 940AT that is somewhat bright) so that will be the next upgrade.

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First dedicated Amplifier, previously used a Rotel integrated.

Open, detailed, plenty of punch, easy on the ears

None at this price point except the lack of a 12 volt trigger for auto-on with signal from A/V preamp.

The time I knew I had made the right decision to purchase the 985 Mk II THX amp was when I played the "Joseph" DVD of the London cast starring Donny Osmond. Even without explosions or rumbling spaceships, the Rotel was thoroughly impressive with its articulate handling of the music. The musical was thoroughly entertaining and engaging, not because of the visuals, but because of the music.

However, action sequences sound great too (like the spaceship crash sequence from 'Pitch Black'-DTS or the shoot'em ups from 'Predator').

It all comes down to music. Even though I have a separate two channel high resolution system, and the Rotel is used only in a home theatre context (with the new RSP-976 processor), the ability of this system to play music well determines its ability to also play movies well.

With the Rotel / Rotel combination the dynamics are much greater than the previous Denon receiver (even though there's only a 25 watt difference in power per channel), the resolution is much greater (I hear more going on in the surrounds and the whole soundfield), the main speakers are less boomy and more articulate in the bass registers (cleaner and more distinct), and the sense of visceral slam has much improved. I'm not talking about the sub-woofer here, but the output of my plain-jane Paradigm Monitor 5 main speakers set to 'full range' on the preamp. The Rotel amp has raised their performance capabilities to a new level.

On the tech side, the power transformer has but 80% of the capacity of the new RMB-1075 model but the 985 MkII still has a higher capacitance value and a higher damping factor (260 vs 180) than the new model. Plus 110 watts vs. 120 for the 1075 isn't really a meaningful difference in the real world. So technically, it's still current with the latest stuff.

The 985 runs cool, looks cool, and sounds very powerful even though it's only 110 watts per channel. I'm already able to play it cleanly at movie theatre sound levels without distress and don't really see the need for any additional power in my 15' x 25' room. Enthusiastically recommended.

Other AV equipment:
Toshiba Cinema Series 43" RPTV
Toshiba SD-2109 DVD
Rotel RSP-976 Pre-Processor
Panasonic SVHS VCR
Paradigm CC-350 Center speaker
Paradigm PS-1000 Sub-Woofer
Paradigm Monitor 5 Main Speakers
Paradigm Atom Surround Speakers

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Denon AVR-2800

I purchased the Rotel RB-985 with Rotel's THX processor and outboard AC-3 convertor at a heavily discounted price. Compared to the Denon AVR-3600 I was using, the Rotel gear sonically beat the Denon by a large margin.
I hooked this amp up to my high end system to get an appriciation for its characteristic sound. The RB-985 is smooth and musical, rich in the midrange, has good highs without being bright, and surprises you with its power when the action gets going in all 5 channels. In absolute terms the Rotel doesn't have the same detail and resolution as more expensive amplifiers, nor does it have as much top end sparkle that helps to promote additional ambiance in movie soundtracks. But given the price the RB-985 would be hard to match for its sound quality and price.

I give this amp a 5 based on performance first, and then value.

The RB-985 replaces my Bryston 3B and Sony amps that were being used for home theater. The RB-985 home theater sound is clear and I have never had to drive it to a point of distortion due to the 100 watts per channel. The RB-985 case and inputs / outputs are well made. In two channel music listening mode the sound is as clear as my old Bryston 3B. System configuration: Pioneer DV09, Sony TA-E2000ES, Rotel RB-985, B&W Matrix HTM speakers, Moster Cables.

I bought the 985 in conjunction with the RDA-995 (AC3 converter) and the RSP-980 this was to upgrade from my existing Onkyo equipment. While I liked the Onkyo very much. The rotel pieces are without a doubt some of the best equipment for the dollar you can get. The RB-985 is solid and will easily drive all 5 of my NHT V2.1 speakers to the point of running me out of the room, long before I get any real distortion. I love this setup. I was really trying to setup a full power home theatre, and have been plesantly suprised at the overall music reproduction quality of the set. It is great all around.

Terrific amp. Matched with Rotel 960 pre/pro, currently in market for upgraded pre/pro but 960 adaquate for the moment. The 985 is clean and smooth, bass response is very good, mid-range is true, highs are precise (not overly bright).Other equipment includes Tannoy GFR-Memory (15"concentric horns) and Tannoy Saturn center speaker. Rears are older but wonderful Bozak 4000's. The 985 matches very well with the Tannoy's and is particularly impressive with Classical and Jazz programming. On SAT TV the performance is equally impressive but it's stereo musicality is what impresses me. The build (it weighs 34 lbs), power (100w with 30w headroom), performance, and price (I paid $700 new)make this unit a 5 star item. Of course, it has to be matched up with the right preamp and speakers (I've never heard it with NHTs)but I have with Vandersteens and it sounded equally good. One can always spend more but,I wonder if the gain in performance is worth the difference in price.

This amp was part of a total upgrade for me, and I am very happy with the results. It blows away the A/V receiver I had previously in every category except remote control operations/control integration. I have this amp hooked up to a Rotel RSP 980 SSP, RDA 975 DD decoder, RDA 985 DTS decoder, RT 940AX tuner, and Pioneer Elite DV-05 DTS/CD player. Speakers: DefTech BP-8s, CLR 1000 center, BP1X rears, and a PF12 sub. The speakers are more than powerful enough for apartment dwellers and owners of normal middle-class homes, but probably not enough if you have a very large listening room. This setup sounds very good with movies (plenty of bass for effects) and most types of music, such as instrumental classical, acoustic guitar-laden James Taylor type rock, and baritone type vocals. With really loud heavier rock and soprano vocals it sounds OK but not as good, because i't a little "bright" at high volumes. With this setup, two channel stereo music sounds better than 5 channel DTS music, due to the fact that the center and rear speakers aren't as musical as the BP8 main speakers; they are fine for movies though. My only dislike about the system is that switching sources requires some fiddling with the inputs on the processors - not a fault of the amp itself but this points out the only advantage receivers have over separates: integration of controls. All in all, this is a very good sounding system, and it's reasonably affordable. No matter what you buy, there are always better pieces of kit out there, but usually at diminishing marginal returns on dollars spent. If you want a system that is competent at both music and movies, but you aren't a recent lottery winner or an oil tycoon, this is probably what you are looking for. Good amp, great price = great review.

Purchased this from Chelsea Audio in Portland, OR for $1K. Driving this with the preouts of the Nakamichi AV10. Main speakers are B&W 603 S2. Very nice and clean sound even at low volume levels with CD player Rotel RCD 951. However, with the DVD movies source of which is a Marantz DVD930, the NAK has to be turned up louder to get the same output listening levels on the speakers through the Rotel RB-985. Not quite sure if the volume level is lower out of the Marantz. Other than that this Amp is very nice and sound from the five speakers seems more separated and cleaner than when they were driven directly with the NAK. Also this amp clearly shows the improvement in sound quality when I switched the interconnects from regular monster to Audioquest ruby which was not quite discernable with just the reciever.