Audio Video News

Rotel RSP-1576MKII Surround Sound Processor: $3,700 (on Crutchfield.com, up from $3,500 when reviewed)

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 RSP-1576MKII 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, a moving-magnet phono stage, and seven HDMI 2.0b inputs.

Unlike the “lite” version of Dirac Live that tops out at 500 Hz, the full bandwidth version offered here does a stellar job of removing room anomalies from the sonic equation. Whether watching movies or listening to music, Al Griffin found that “Dirac Live sounded surprisingly good, with none of the brightness and glare that other systems like Audyssey MultEQ XT32 can introduce.” The Rotel brought a “wonderfully dynamic quality” to the chaotic soundtrack of John Wick 3 and made Bill Frisell's "Blues Dream" (from the CD With Dave Holland and Elvin Jones) really shine. “Holland's standup bass had a rich, rounded quality, but there was a linearity to it that made it easy to distinguish the full range of high to low notes as he dug into his solo." The RSP-1576MKII lacks onboard network streaming and support for Dolby Vision — features that will surely 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 room correction
Fully backlit remote control
Minus
No Dolby Vision passthrough
Music streaming options limited to Bluetooth
Lacks setup and control app

Full Review Here (posted 3/3/21)

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 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 in 4 ohms while 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 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)

Linn Majik DSM Streaming Integrated Amplifier: $3,835

Almost 50 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. The unassuming Majik DSM combines a 24-192/DSD-capable wireless streaming device with a preamp and 2 x 50-watt power amp to form an all-in-one component you can control using an intuitive app or standard remote. In addition supporting Tidal, Qobuz, AirPlay, TuneIn, and Calm Radio, the Majik DSM is Roon Tested and boasts five HDMI 2.0 ports with 4K/HDR10 video passthrough, including one with Audio Return Channel (ARC), plus optical, coaxial, and USB digital inputs. There’s even a selectable RCA line/phono analog input and headphone output. Want to stream via Bluetooth? No problem. Add speakers and you’re good to go.

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. Reviewer Howard Kneller put SO to work with the torturous synth bass line on London Grammar's "Hey Now" from 2013’s If You Wait and was impressed with how it subdued destructive room interactions and brought out detail that would otherwise be obscured. Listening to Lee Morgan's trumpet on "Are You Real" from the Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers' album Moanin', 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.” What you have here is a serious streaming system guaranteed to delight audiophiles.

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)

Trinnov Audio Altitude16 Surround Sound Processor: $18,000

Yes, you read that right — there are three zeros. The Altitude16 surround processor from Paris-based Trinnov Audio is quite possibly the most advanced surround processor on the planet. For starters, it’s a 16-channel PC-based device with onboard processing for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Pro, and Auro-3D, plus it’s equipped with eight 18Gbps-cable HDMI 2.0 inputs to name but a few of its numerous connections. The A16 is compatible with all of the major custom-installation controllers and its modular design erases worries of obsolescence, ensuring you can easily upgrade to HDMI 2.1, for example, when that update becomes available. Most important, it delivers spectacularly realistic sound.

Once he got beyond the intimidation of reading through the 172-page owner’s manual, reviewer David Vaughn engaged the A16’s setup wizard and specified a 7.1.4 speaker layout before letting Trinnov’s auto-calibration system work its magic. He loved having near-infinite tweaking capability with the ability to save multiple custom calibrations (up to 29!) and switch between them on the fly. He also marveled at the Dolby Atmos Object Viewer, which displays a three-dimensional depiction of your room that indicates which speakers are active and when. Of course, we’re just scratching the surface of the processor’s capabilities here, which is to say the A16 is a dream come true for the obsessive audiophile.

Vaughn admitted to “falling in love” after a month of living with the Trinnov Altitude16. “It was able to take my multipurpose space and make it sound like a fully enclosed theater. No other room-correction system I’ve evaluated has performed as effectively — the Trinnov Optimizer is literally in a class by itself.” Running through his collection of Dolby Atmos demo discs, Vaughn observed: “Discrete pinpoint sound effects moved around the room in a precise manner, while the Optimizer’s bass management allowed for a seamless transition from my main speakers to the subs without any audible peaks or dips — my system never sounded better.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Phenomenal sound quality
Software-based platform makes upgrades easy
Superior room-correction processing
Minus
Pricey!
Basic remote control
Typically requires professional installation

Full Review Here (posted 6/23/21)