Rotel RSX-1056, Maximum operational flexibility

• The Rotel RSX-1056 is a good A/V receiver for those looking for good quality and great flexibility.

• Price: €1,999

• Specialists' rating: 4

• Text: Jorge Wuhrmann

We have often highlighted Rotel's market positioning, offering fairly high quality at relatively affordable prices. In this test we take on one of its two new integrated A/V receivers. Specifically, our guest is the "smaller" of its two new models, the RSX-1056, whose "big" brother, the RSX-1067, we will cover in future issues.

The build quality of the RSX-1056 is evident at first glance, from its tidy aluminum front panel to its comprehensive programmable learning remote control, the same one supplied with higher-end units such as the RSX-1067 receiver or the RSP-1068 A/V preamp.

The rear of the unit is a benchmark for what the connectivity of an A/V receiver should be, both for its abundance and for its overall tidiness, with the extraordinary quality of the gold-plated connectors especially noteworthy. There is little we could miss in this department; for details on the number and type of outputs and inputs, I refer you to the specifications table.

Worth highlighting is the port for connecting to a personal computer, which allows both software updates and external control of the entire system from the computer itself for advanced home automation systems.

The RSX-1056 amplifies 5 channels, although 7.1 systems can be handled by adding an external power amplifier. Thanks to its enormous operational flexibility, that amplifier can be assigned to drive either the front channels or the surround channels, and it can also be dedicated to driving a stereo system in a second zone.

If its hardware configuration flexibility is already extensive, in terms of software there is little more one could dream of beyond what this machine offers. It seems to be a carbon copy of the software that already impressed us in the RSP-1068 and RSP-1098 preamps, and it allows the system to be configured down to the smallest detail. Among other possibilities, we were struck by the ability to define the entire system independently for each multichannel format, to set the initial and maximum volume, and to set up a second, independent subwoofer configuration on the analog inputs for external decoders (SA-CD and DVD-Audio). The unit also has a detection system for the extended formats (DTS-ES and DD EX) for discs that do not trigger them automatically.

Also worth highlighting is the analog "bypass", which does not convert analog signals to the digital domain, sending them to the volume control without passing them through the digital decoders, something stereo lovers will greatly enjoy.

In the amplifier section the unit states 75 W into 8 ohms (RMS) for 5 channels, a figure that is a priori lower than that of other competitors in the same price range, although Rotel insists that this figure holds with all 5 channels driven simultaneously. On the other hand, the manual advises against using loudspeakers with a nominal impedance below 8 ohms, a surprising limitation in a unit of this type, given its powerful conventional power supply and generous capacitors.



Tests



For the listening test of the RSX-1056, I connected it to System Audio 1250 front loudspeakers, an SA210 center, B&W DM303 surround speakers and a Kef PSW2000 subwoofer. As a source I used a Toshiba SD900 player, with a 32" Loewe TV as the display.

Starting with multichannel audio, the war scenes in the opening sequence of "Rules of Engagement" in DTS skillfully blend the subtle sounds of the jungle with the impact of gunfire and explosions, making it easy to feel transported into the movie's action. Likewise, in Dolby Digital ("Episode II") the same detail and impact come across, even at relatively low volume levels. Dialogue remains well focused and articulate at all times, and the solid results with the Dolby Prologic2 and DTS Neo:6 formats are also noteworthy. The RSX-1056 therefore seems to perform quite well with multichannel audio even in a large room and at high volumes, despite the use of front speakers with a nominal impedance of 4 ohms.

However, to appreciate the subtlety of an A/V amplifier or receiver I always turn to a stereo test. In this case, using Brahms's Violin Concerto (Vengerov/Barenboim), we hear a very accurate soundstage and good rendering of timbres. The only thing missing is greater dynamics, especially in more complex orchestral passages. With a quieter, more jazz-oriented sound, such as Diana Krall's latest album, or with Chopin's Nocturnes (Pires), there is great naturalness and no notable flaws can be detected. In short, good sound as long as we do not try to drive difficult loudspeakers.

The RSX-1056 is a unit designed for those who want good quality and enormous operational flexibility, and it will shine at a high level driving high-sensitivity, high-nominal-impedance loudspeaker sets, with which it can become the heart of a magnificent high-performance, state-of-the-art system. Only the limitations of its amplifier section, considering the price, keep it from a better overall rating, one it would well deserve for the general quality of the package, its enormous potential and its great flexibility. It therefore deserves not only an audition but a thorough look at its detailed setup menus, where the more knowledgeable will appreciate the reasons for my recommendation.

Rotel RSX-1056, Maximum operational flexibility

Specifications

5 x 75 W (continuous power, 5 channels driven into 8 ohms). 2 x 100 W (continuous power, 2 channels driven into 8 ohms.

10 - 120 kHz (+/- 3dB via analog input), 10 - 95 kHz (+/- 3dB via digital input).

95 dB (analog bypass).

Programmable. Glow-in-the-dark illumination.

Dolby Digital:DD / DD EX, DTS: DTS/DTS ES (Matrix) DTS ES (Discrete), NEO:6 / DTS 96/24, Dolby ProLogic, Dolby ProLogic IIx. LPCM (up to 192 kbps), HDCD MP3, multichannel MPEG.

192 kHz/24 bits on all channels.

450 W.

Video: composite video (inputs/outputs): 5/5 (incl. 1 Monitor and 1 Zone 2); S-Video (inputs/outputs): 5/4 (incl. 1 Monitor); Component video (inputs/outputs): 3/1 (Monitor). Audio: Analog inputs/outputs: 7/4 (incl. Zone 2). Optical digital inputs/outputs (EIAJ/TosLink): 2/1. Coaxial digital inputs/outputs (S/PDIF): 3/1. Preamp outputs: 7.1 channels. Multichannel inputs: 1 for 7.1 channels. Speaker terminals: 5 for bare wire, spades and bananas. RS232 (cable supplied).

162x433x421 mm; 17 kg.

Price: €1,999