And because a surround sound processor serves as the main user interface in an A/V system, ergonomic considerations are paramount—how easy is it to switch between sources and tweak audio settings like surround, subwoofer, and center-channel levels on the fly?
Rotel’s new RSP-1576MKII surround sound processor ($3,499) arrives ready to meet the needs of the contemporary home theater with support for 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos and DTS:X processing, along with full-bandwidth Dirac Live Full room correction. Rotel puts emphasis on the audio side of its A/V preamp, citing the RSP-1576MKII’s “audiophile-grade” 24-bit/192kHz Wolfson DACs and “in-house manufactured toroidal transformer, with low distortion/noise-rejection circuit layout.” It also offers a moving magnet phono stage and the higher quality apt-X Bluetooth variant for direct wireless streaming from a smartphone or tablet. Does the RSP-1576MKII check off the other boxes on our circa-2021 surround sound processor wishlist? Let’s dig in and find out.
This story is from the April - May 2021 edition of Sound & Vision.
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This story is from the April - May 2021 edition of Sound & Vision.
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The Big Clean
Chances are you probably do not think about the state of your electronic devices too often. Oh, you might think about all the upgrades you would like to make; where you would put those new tower speakers, or how a second or third subwoofer would really tame those bass modes in your room, or how much more cinematic a larger screen would be. Sure, you think about that part of your system. But how often do you think about the well-being of your system?
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