Audio Video News

Rotel RSP-1576MKII Surround Sound Processor: $3,500

Rotel is one of those brands you don’t necessarily hear a lot about even though it has been building quality audio gear for more than 60 years, while earning the respect of audiophiles around the world. The company was founded in Tokyo and remained in Japan for four decades until Peter Kao, nephew of founder Tomoki Tachikawa, moved its operations to Hong Kong 22 years ago where the brand is based today. The new RSP-1576MKII surround sound processor is an update of 2018’s RSP-1576 that brings the outstanding Dirac Live room-correction system into the mix.

Sporting the same clean lines as its predecessor, the 1576MKII provides Dolby Atmos and DTS:X processing and supports system configurations with up to 7.1.4 channels with a clear emphasis on audio performance, as evidenced by its 24-bit/192kHz Wolfson digital-to-analog converters (DACs), homegrown toroidal transformer, and distortion-reducing circuit layout. Rounding out its capabilities are aptX-enabled Bluetooth streaming and a moving-magnet phono stage that joins seven HDMI 2.0b inputs.

Unlike the “lite” version of Dirac Live that tops out at 500 Hz, the full bandwidth version offered here with “bass control integration” did a great job of removing room anomalies from the sonic equation. The Rotel brought a “wonderfully dynamic quality” to the chaotic soundtrack of John Wick 3, including the intense fight sequences for which the film is known. Music also came alive with the Dirac processing tightening up the bass and creating a coherent blend between the subwoofer and main speakers. The RSP-1576MKII lacks onboard network streaming and support for Dolby Vision, features that will be missed by some, but it never falls short in its achieving its mission of delivering top-notch sound.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X processing
Dirac Live Full room correction
Fully backlit remote control
Minus
No Dolby Vision pass-through
Music streaming options limited to Bluetooth
Lacks setup and control app

Full Review Here (posted 3/3/21)

Linn Majik DSM Streaming Integrated Amplifier: $3,835

Almost half a century years after Scotsman Ivor Tiefenbrun built his first turntable — the iconic Sondek LP12 — Linn is firmly established as the crown jewel of Scotland’s hi-fi community and remains a family business dedicated to high-performance audio. Today the company is run by Ivor’s son Gilad and has string of hi-fi innovations under its belt. It was also an early proponent of streaming back in 2007 when it introduced the Klimax DS, one of the first hi-res network music players. Fast forward to 2021 and the Majik DSM builds on that original player by combining a 24-192/DSD-capable wireless streaming device with a preamp and 2 x 50-watt power amp in a component you can control using a standard remote or an app featuring a convenient universal search tool.

In addition to supporting Tidal, Qobuz, AirPlay, TuneIn, and Calm Radio music services, the Majik DSM is Roon Tested and boasts five HDMI 2.0 ports with 4K/HDR10 video pass-through plus optical, coaxial, and USB digital inputs. It even supports Bluetooth streaming and provides a selectable RCA line/phono analog input and headphone output. But the parade of features doesn’t stop there: Near the top of the list is a DSP-based room-correction system Linn calls Space Optimisation that uses acoustic modeling (instead of the usual microphone-based room measurements) to compensate for room anomalies below 80 Hz. The system works like a charm and is even user adjustable, making it easy to dial in the bass just the way you want it.

In the end, it always comes back to sound quality — something the Linn delivers in spades. Listening to Lee Morgan's trumpet on "Are You Real" from the Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers' album Moanin', reviewer Howard Kneller was captivated by how the versatile Majik “captured the instrument's intense, brilliant sound” while conveying Blakey's percussive strikes with precision and “pop.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Great sound quality
Multiple HDMI inputs (w/ARC)
Effective Space Optimization room correction
Built-in phono stage
Minus
Dealer setup recommended
Small speaker terminals

Full Review Here (posted 3/17/21)

NAD Masters M28 Seven-Channel Power Amplifier: $4,999

The latest entry in NAD’s prestigious Masters Series, the impeccably built M28 is one of the first power amplifiers to employ the super-efficient and highly regarded Eigentakt Class D modules from Denmark’s Purifi, a distinction shared by its Top Pick of the Year sibling — the M33 streaming integrated amp. The M28 is a unique product intended to compete sonically with some of the best amplifiers in the world. And compete it does, delivering 200 watts into each of its seven channels at 8 ohms or a foreboding 340 watts per channel into 4 ohms and offering the choice of balanced or unbalanced inputs.

The NAD powerhouse was adept at handling the subtle and no-so-subtle intricacies of two-channel music — including the aggressive bottom end on the organ transcription of Pictures at an Exhibition — and had no trouble driving seven speakers in a 5.2.4 movie setup. “The most jaw-dropping sound with the NAD M28-powered system came from Blade Runner 2049,” observed reviewer Tom Norton. “Watching it, I heard deep, hard-hitting deep bass and remarkable ambience that enhanced every scene.” Simply put, the NAD Masters M28 is an exceptional amplifier.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Exceptional performance
Exceptional build quality
Dimmable power indicator light
Minus
Pricey

Full Review Here (posted 1/27/21)

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