Rotel 1576mkII vs Monoprice monolith HTP-1

[mant]

HTP-1 is the most reliable Dirac device up to 10k €, the HDMI card does a very good job.
Unbeatable at that price:
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=42116

 

[Twisteddzyne]

If you like Rotel’s sound, you should explore the 1576MKII. I can tell you it sounds better than the HTP-1 (even after Dirac measurements), the Rotel out of the box sounds very good, maybe its synergy with the Rotel amp I have idk. That being said, I think the HTP-1 has some extra features but, at the end of the day it’s all about sound quality. Also, one thing I noticed on the HTP-1 the sound is just much ”lower” where I need to crank it up higher yet it still doesn’t feel as rich as the Rotel even at lower levels. I’m leaning Rotel right now.[/QUOT

If you like Rotel’s sound, you should explore the 1576MKII. I can tell you it sounds better than the HTP-1 (even after Dirac measurements), the Rotel out of the box sounds very good, maybe its synergy with the Rotel amp I have idk. That being said, I think the HTP-1 has some extra features but, at the end of the day it’s all about sound quality. Also, one thing I noticed on the HTP-1 the sound is just much ”lower” where I need to crank it up higher yet it still doesn’t feel as rich as the Rotel even at lower levels. I’m leaning Rotel right now.

Have you adjusted the output sensitivity of the car outs on the HTP-1 to match the amplifiers??

 

[Gui0507]

Have you adjusted the output sensitivity of the car outs on the HTP-1 to match the amplifiers??

I absolutely did (I believe my amp at the time stated 3.xx Mv not 100% sure) and caused severe clipping while running Dirac Live to the point I had to lower everything ridiculously low. The end result was a lackluster performance in both music and movies. I ended up going back to the Arcam, got a stellar deal, I know it’s trashed here like everything other than a Denon but, to me it has sounded the best and with the 1.44 FW it’s been golden, no issues, no hums/hisses Or HDMI handshake problems.

 

[Twisteddzyne]

I absolutely did (I believe my amp at the time stated 3.xx Mv not 100% sure) and caused severe clipping while running Dirac Live to the point I had to lower everything ridiculously low. The end result was a lackluster performance in both music and movies. I ended up going back to the Arcam, got a stellar deal, I know it’s trashed here like everything other than a Denon but, to me it has sounded the best and with the 1.44 FW it’s been golden, no issues, no hums/hisses Or HDMI handshake problems.

I’m on the fence about what to get myself. Just bought a new house and setting up the gear in a great room where it’s kitchen and living combined. Leaves speaker options limited for surrounds. Currently using an older krell showcase 7.1 processor but seriously looking to upgrade. I want the crispest sound I can afford and have been looking at used Anthem AVM 60, Emotiva XMC-2, or HTP-1 ‍

 

[Vasr]

I absolutely did (I believe my amp at the time stated 3.xx Mv not 100% sure) and caused severe clipping while running Dirac Live to the point I had to lower everything ridiculously low. The end result was a lackluster performance in both music and movies.

What power amp was it?

You cannot get a power amp to clip using Dirac if it didn't clip without Dirac. Dirac can lead to digitally clipping pre-DAC but those would be audible at any post-DAC volume level - even very low volumes. You can avoid digital clipping by turning down pre-DAC volume control. If that makes the sound too low, then the HTP-1 out and the power amp in were not matched correctly. This depends on the power amp input sensitivity, any available gain settings on the power amp, the setting on the HTP-1 for output voltage for RCA/XLR and whether RCA/XLR cables (or adapters) were used.

HTP-1 has settings for output voltage and it is shameful of the audio industry to have settings and nomenclatures that make it absolutely confusing to figure out what does what for an average consumer.

Given the specs of the HTP-1, I don't know of any brand-name amp that couldn't be driven to reasonable listening levels using the HTP-1 with or without Dirac. So there is more to this anecdote.

 

[markus]

What power amp was it?

You cannot get a power amp to clip using Dirac if it didn't clip without Dirac. Dirac can lead to digitally clipping pre-DAC but those would be audible at any post-DAC volume level - even very low volumes. You can avoid digital clipping by turning down pre-DAC volume control. If that makes the sound too low, then the HTP-1 out and the power amp in were not matched correctly. This depends on the power amp input sensitivity, any available gain settings on the power amp, the setting on the HTP-1 for output voltage for RCA/XLR and whether RCA/XLR cables (or adapters) were used.

HTP-1 has settings for output voltage and it is shameful of the audio industry to have settings and nomenclatures that make it absolutely confusing to figure out what does what for an average consumer.

Given the specs of the HTP-1, I don't know of any brand-name amp that couldn't be driven to reasonable listening levels using the HTP-1 with or without Dirac. So there is more to this anecdote.

Doesn't the HTP-1 use a combination of digital and analog volume control and therefore even digital clipping can go away by turning down master volume?

 

[BDWoody]

I’m on the fence about what to get myself. Just bought a new house and setting up the gear in a great room where it’s kitchen and living combined. Leaves speaker options limited for surrounds. Currently using an older krell showcase 7.1 processor but seriously looking to upgrade. I want the crispest sound I can afford and have been looking at used Anthem AVM 60, Emotiva XMC-2, or HTP-1 ‍

I love my Showcase... The lack of HDMI is a bit of a pain, so I ended up with an Integra 80.3 AVP while I wait for the ATMOS and HDMI 2.1 issues to sort themselves out a bit, and hope the room correction situation becomes more predictable. In the meantime, the Showcase is in the downstairs theater.

I don't feel like either gives me any reason to upgrade in terms of sound. They are both absolutely comparable to my other stand-alone DAC's. I was actually disappointed when I found my new Auralic Vega didn't sound any better than the Krell. Sent the Vega back, and got better Speakers.

 

[Leo05$]

I looked through the user manual on the Rotel and the on-screen menu looks like my 1996 Lexi-DC-1. I love my RB-985 amp that has been paired with the DC-1 since I purchased both in 99' but I really expect some newer features for the price (missing XLR outputs and WiFi are really a hard to swallow deal breaker). I am curious, how do the two units compare with just music. In the Rotel manual I don't see any options for music surround room environments. The DC-1 has surround music up-mix modes like Panorama, Music Logic, Nightclub and Concert Hall to name a few that really make certain albums sound like a concert performance. It seems like the HTP-1 is my best option to try and reproduce these multi-channel music environments. Thx.

 

[bungle]

Bryston BR20 looks nice too:
https://bryston.com/preamps/br-20/
or SP4: https://bryston.com/preamps/sp4/

Haven’t seen any measurements, though.

 

[Twisteddzyne]

I looked through the user manual on the Rotel and the on-screen menu looks like my 1996 Lexi-DC-1. I love my RB-985 amp that has been paired with the DC-1 since I purchased both in 99' but I really expect some newer features for the price (missing XLR outputs and WiFi are really a hard to swallow deal breaker). I am curious, how do the two units compare with just music. In the Rotel manual I don't see any options for music surround room environments. The DC-1 has surround music up-mix modes like Panorama, Music Logic, Nightclub and Concert Hall to name a few that really make certain albums sound like a concert performance. It seems like the HTP-1 is my best option to try and reproduce these multi-channel music environments. Thx.

Leo let me just tell you this. I just purchased the htp-1 and have had it for two weeks and it is insane sound quality. It has the best upmixer I've heard. Auro upmixer for music is awesome. I came from an older krell processor and this thing makes that seem like a you bro. I ran Dirac today for the first time ever and it really is killer. I was on the fence wondering if buying this would be worth it and I can honestly say HELL YES!

 

[Leo05$]

Leo let me just tell you this. I just purchased the htp-1 and have had it for two weeks and it is insane sound quality. It has the best upmixer I've heard. Auro upmixer for music is awesome. I came from an older krell processor and this thing makes that seem like a you bro. I ran Dirac today for the first time ever and it really is killer. I was on the fence wondering if buying this would be worth it and I can honestly say HELL YES!

I truly believe that sound quality is in the ears of the beholder (or tweaked by the Beholder to sound like they want) but does the testing review that Amir performed give you any reservations? What Amp/Speakers did you pair it with? Thanks much in advance.

 

[Leo05$]

Bryston BR20 looks nice too:
https://bryston.com/preamps/br-20/
or SP4: https://bryston.com/preamps/sp4/

Haven’t seen any measurements, though.

Just a weee bit out of my price range.

 

[Twisteddzyne]

I truly believe that sound quality is in the ears of the beholder (or tweaked by the Beholder to sound like they want) but does the testing review that Amir performed give you any reservations? What Amp/Speakers did you pair it with? Thanks much in advance.

I just read reviews to get a general idea. I initially bought this knowing I have 30 days to try it and if I don't like it I can send it back and move on to the next one. There is always going to be something that someone finds wrong with stuff. To me this thing sounds great. I was prepared to send it back and try an anthem or emotiva but I'm not doing that. I like it. Seperation and panning off objects is crazy good. I can't speak for any of then others out there but it will definitely beat what you have now. Atmos and Auro3d upmixing are truly something to behold!

 

[jhaider]

Bryston BR20 looks nice too:
https://bryston.com/preamps/br-20/
or SP4: https://bryston.com/preamps/sp4/

Haven’t seen any measurements, though.

I’ve had SP4, Lyngdorf MP-60, and Monoprice HTP-1 in my system. Of the three, Monoprice has actually been the least problematic: it just works with our Harmony remote (unlike SP4; I would have tried to buy the review sample if it did - note this may have been fixed) and displays Dolby Vision reliably over our long optical HDMI cable every time (Lyngdorf would have occasional sync issues.)

I can say the “headless panther” on the HTP-1 review is irrelevant. In actual use with real amps it’s as quiet as anything else and works fine. If Rotel doesn’t have balanced outs, that’s puzzling. If it doesn’t have Dirac Live Bass Control (after it’s fixed) then it is in a lower rank than HTP-1.

 

[Spocko]

As Amir will be reviewing the Trinnov Altitude 16 shortly, I welcome you to post questions and measurements requests you'd like to see! I am collecting those questions HERE for @amirm to consider.

 

[sritacco]

I currently have the Rotel RSP-1582 in my system and considering the HTP-1, the MKII or the NAD M17 V2. After reading all the excellent reviews and comments on this fabulous site I suspect one should wait until a company releases a product that measures and preforms like it should for the price point. I prefer Audio over video and really like the sound of the Rotel in my room over that of my previous Marantz 8802A or the Integra DHC 80.3. Always chasing components that I can afford that will improve my listening experiences. I've found my DVD-A collection (over 100), to be the best sounding source although the come SACD and Blue-ray mixes are wonderful.
Looking forward to hearing from more members on this thread and thanks to all who support this forum.

I like Rotel gear. I have a few of their amps... two of the ICE-Power flavor. They are super nice. The current state of the hifi equipment market is weird and it seems like Rotel is a survivor. I'm currently using the second hdmi zone on an Onkyo AVR, but I'm thinking of using an HDMI matrix switch and ending that dependency. I'm only using 7.1 output in one room, so I can feed stereo from the HDMI sources right from the switch. I would definitely be curious about your impressions of the MKII... I think it would pair nicely with the Rotel 1077 amp I have in a closet at the moment. ;-)

 

[pedrob]

I'm wondering if the DACs play a crucial part in determining the quality of the audio?

I am not certain which DAC the RSP-1582 uses other than audioholics.com saying it has six 24-bit/192kHz Wolfson WM8740 chips.

The Anthem AVM-90 uses the 32-bit AKM AK4499EQ DAC with 768kHz sampling capability, so perhaps it produces a better analog sound.

 

[Krobar]

I'm wondering if the DACs play a crucial part in determining the quality of the audio?

I am not certain which DAC the RSP-1582 uses other than audioholics.com saying it has six 24-bit/192kHz Wolfson WM8740 chips.

The Anthem AVM-90 uses the 32-bit AKM AK4499EQ DAC with 768kHz sampling capability, so perhaps it produces a better analog sound.

The overall DAC performance does play an important role but most AVR/AVP designs are heavily limited by noise and so high end DACs offer little advantage IMHO.

 

[pedrob]

The overall DAC performance does play an important role but most AVR/AVP designs are heavily limited by noise and so high end DACs offer little advantage IMHO.

Point well taken.

I do wonder if they are just too crammed full of electronics with little or no thought given to EMI interference arising from transformers and ac rectification, and it's getting worse as more and more channels are being fitted. Personally I believe it has two detrimental impacts: noise floor and wave form contamination. I've said it before, but I believe for the best performance it is crucial to have AC and power supplies housed in external cases.

 

[sritacco]

At least the Rotel pre-pros have continued to feature a 7.1 input... That alone makes them worth considering. I'll never understand why Krell's
Foundation doesn't have them.