This amplifier has good dynamics, it make the sounds smooth and warm as well. Chain Link Fences

This is a hard amplifier to get a hold of. All local Rotel dealerships wanted me to special order it from them instead of them stocking it.

This amplifier is a beast and never get hot even when pushed hard, sound is precise with more details I ever had with my other amps, can't even hear any distortion when I push the volume really high

Could be a little more warm in the bass but then it could be simply because I'm used to my other tube amp. Otherwise this amp is a fantastic complement to drive all my front speakers in my home theatre with no problem at all. I was very lucky to get it second hand for less than half its retail price.

I bought this amp used a couple of months ago. I found it hard to find actual reviews so i just took the chance. I have a yamaha avr unit with pre out and 7x90w in 8ohm. My fronts are a pair of trusty old Dali 18 (A quite hungry speaker). So i was looking for an amp with a solid power supply that would cope with the 2-3ohm the speaker is at some frequences. My Yamaha was set to biamp the front speakers and the Rotel is configured to 5x70w (Fronts biamped and center driven by the fifth channel. What happend when i switched to the on paper weaker rotel - well quite a lot! In stereo the bass tightened a lot, no boominess and drumms and bass is very controlled. The midtone is very detailed and the hightone is super smooth and never ever harsh. There is lots of details and the soundstage is quite precise. Back to the yamaha - the sound flattens and especially the bass range becomes flat and dull. The center became much more clear and well defined. This amp clearly has a lot more muscles than the yamaha despite the weaker specifications. The weight of the rotel tells another story than the power ratings compared to the yamaha - the huge torodial transformer clearly plays a role in this.

In sourround mode the advantages just becomes more apparent. Voices a much more defined and evennthe most complex scenes does not cause this rotel to loose its breath - it just keep going.

I can clearly recommend this amp, even dificult speaker loads is handled with no problems.

Flexibility (6 channel bridging/biamping)
Price
Rotel torroidal transformer technology
Space saving (its only 4 3/4" high)
Musical amp

60x6 could be outgrown easily...

The following is my setup:
PRE: Proceed AVP2
Front/Center Amp: Proceed HPA3
Rear/Zone 2 Amp: Rotel RMB1066
Speakers Front: B&W CDM7NT
Speaker Center: B&W HTM-2
Speakers Rear: B&W CDM1NT
Speakers Zone 2 (Outdoor): B&W LM1

My reasons for buying before trying: 1. my shelf was only 6" high, and this amp is only 4 3/4" high, and 2. I have heard other Rotel RB products in stereo and I must say "very musical" compared to most other amps in the same price category, 3. Flexibility needed in configuring the setup of the amp, and 4. just for rear and outdoor speakers $475 for a brand new unopened box 6 channel Rotel amp is not a bad deal.

My configuration of the RMB1066 is as follows: Channels 1/2 biamped (not bridged) for left rear, Channels 3/4 biamped (again not bridged), Channels 5 and 6 for my outdoor stereo speakers. Sound quality wise there is a noticeable improvement in sound quality (which is already good in the stereo mode) in the biamped mode vs the bridged mode as explained below.

I spoke to a couple of dealers before doing this and they both agreed that rotel generates more than twice the power by boosting the voltage a bit to generate the 150W vs the 60+60=120. However, with bridging, the current does drop a bit and is probably the reason for the distortion at very high levels as indicated in another reviewers post. Also please note how Rotel tries to specify 8 ohm minimum speakers in the bridged mode and apply this with logic that the lower frequencies need higher current to power, and the ohmage of mid and bass driver speakers is always less than 8 in 8 ohm speakers. Hence, both people I spoke to highly recommended biamping as compared to the bridging.

I tried both configurations and did notice sonic improvements at mid and high volume levels, meaning better balance of lows and mids with highs at all volume levels with the biamping. The sound goes brighter at the higher volume levels in the bridged mode, but not in the biamped mode. This may be something you want to try out because ultimately you are going to be the one to make the choice between the two methods of boosting power and go with one you prefer.

Another point of note, the signal sense input is nice in stereo mode but if your configuration is like mine where this amp only powers the rear speakers, the amp does keep shutting off during movies. Hence, make use of the 12V trigger. Rotel supplies a 3 foot 12v cable. i needed a 6 foot cable and picked up a 6 foot stereo headphone extension cable from radioshack that does the job. note: do not try and use attenuating cables as they will not work the trigger- i found that out the hard way without checking the specs of the cable.

Overall: good sounding amp, great value for money especially if you are just starting out with HT or Stereo, or need a specialized setup for yourself, the flexibility in its configuration takes future needs into account.

Similar Products Used:

Proceed, Pioneer, NAD, Rotel, Carver/Sunfire

Versatility. No coloration of sound. Power if run at 60 watts or at 150.

The switching on the back to get to bridged mode is a little convoluted. The auto sensing control that turns power on if you don't have the 12v trigger on your preamp is not sensitive enough and keeps turning off while audio is playing, fortunately you can choose between that setting, 12v trigger or you can turn those features off.

This is a hard amplifier to get a hold of. All local Rotel dealerships wanted me to special order it from them instead of them stocking it. A new local dealer had ONE, so I snapped it up. I bought it for its capability to be bridged and run three channels at 150 watts. With the amplifier bridged, it is supposed to be have a little more distortion. I can't hear it. It matches well with my Rotel Rb991, and runs a little cooler too. I was surprised when I switched it to 6 channel mode. It had some punch and maintained its strength and clarity.

Similar Products Used:

Rotel RB991 (stereo amp). Adcom 535 (stereo Amp). NAD 7130(stereo receiver). Denon 2701 (surround receiver)

Smooth, slightly warm sound, good dynamics, good imaging and soundstage, very quiet, cool-running, reliable, well built, flexible configurations.

Not the last word in current muscle.

I purchased the current version of this amp, the RMB-1066, to power the L/C/R channels of my Pioneer Elite VSX-24TX receiver. My evaluation is primarily a comparison vs. the amp section of the Pioneer. This amp is run in bridged, 3-channel mode, which is rated at 150 watts RMS X 3. My speakers are Vandersteen 1C, with a VCC-1 center, and a Def Tech PF-15 subwoofer. Cables are Monster Z and Reference. Overall, there was a noticeable improvement in some areas over the Pioneer. Dynamics got a modest boost, as well as detail. Stereo imaging improved, especially with regard to width, and to a lesser degree, hieght. It could be due to other system/room factors, but depth is somewhat flat, as it was with the Pioneer. The sound is a bit less compressed at high volume, although there is still considerable blurring of individual instruments at these high volumes. The sound is to the warm side of neutral, similar in this regard to the Pioneer. "Air" is improved, and there is also less grain than with the Pioneer. Noise and hum are not audible. The amp has performed flawlessly and never gets more than slightly warm to the touch. Build quality is excellent. Ultimately, I still want more from my L/C/R amp, and I will eventually look for a higher-end 3-channel amp and move the Rotel to the rear channels. However, for the money, I feel this amp offers great flexibility and value.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer Elite VSX-24TX receiver, Onkyo TXVS-515 Pro Receiver