That has been ditched when I have really thought about what I am using my current AVR for. Music! After jotting down hours listening to music vs. HT I found that music was at 80% for the past week. I have the radio on more that I really realized. But dang it those hours count!
So the goal is to set up a Stereo receiver with a set of B&W 704's or 705's for a room that is 15X24. If the B&W's are getting too expensive I might consider other options however for this post I would like to hear from anyone who has experience with either.
I have listened to both and they sound very close to one another. The test speakers used are Rega R 3's. I think Frank mentioned in another post that Rotel has more power for the B&W's however now that I am looking at the stereo receiver will the 720BEE have the power needed? I really like the multi room connectivity of the Rotel for the future. Before I go back to listen again this week does anyone have any thoughts about either receiver. Does either of these units have the powere needed to properly drive the B&W's?
My friend Jim Ott who owns Northwest Audio Labs used to sell Rotel and now sells NAD says that the NAD is better from a sound perspective. I personally have never heard the NAD but I own a bunch of NAD gear and like it it alot. however I have owned that Rotel receiver (I used to own alot of Rotel gear) and it sounds great for a receiver. What Jim says is that the NAD sounds a little better and is a much better buy due to price. From my experience Jim is usually right.
According to the NAD website, the 720BEE does have a multi zone function. I have a 320BEE, which has the same power supply as the 720BEE in a room about the same size as yours and don't have any problems filling it with sound. How loud a stereo will play is not just the receiver's power output, but also the speaker's "effiency" or sensitivity. The higher the sensitivity the louder the speaker will play at a given power level for the most part. The speakers you mentioned are rated at 90db and 89 db, therefore you shouldn't have any problems reaching realistic sound levels.
I don't have any experience with B&W's other than hearing them a few times in a couple stores to give any opinions other than that.
The Rotel is a very good receiver. They make solid products that a lot of people stand behind. Personally, I didn't think the price tag justified buying it. That's just me though... to each his own
Thanks Art and Stu! Well I have listened to both the NAD and the Rotel. I prefer the price and look of the NAD to the Rotel. The Rotel looks "cool" now but in 5 years will it still look as cool? Maybe but the NAD look is just classic and timeless. It will look just as cool today as it does in 15 years. But really about the sound they are very close to one another so I am affirmed to go with the NAD at this point.
Before I pull the trigger on the buy are there any other options for under $750 that I should consider?
I don't think their are too many stereo receivers on the market any more. The ones that come to mind in addition to the ones you said are Marantz, Denon, and I think Harmon/Kardon. Sony Onkyo, and others make them too, but really a waste of your time. I think the NAD and Rotel are the top of the line at this price point, and the next step up, like a Magnum Dynalab will cost multiples of the $750 budget.
I don't think you could really go wrong with the NAD or Rotel. It's a matter of preference and budget.
Fantastic. One piece has now been nailed down! All I have left is a dedicated CD player and speakers.
Art or Stu, What do either of you know about the NAD T562? According to NAD this one does DVD and CD to eliminate the need for a dedicated CD player. Should I believe the hype? At 800 bucks it is pricey but am eyeballing one online that is at Spearit for around $450.00. For less I can get the T521BEE brand new. But the 562 would kill two birds with one stone. Right?
I'm the wrong person to ask as I don't think that DVD players sound at all good with CD playback. I would look at the NAD C542 as it is a perfect match for your receiver. Buy another DVD player but don't skimp on your music source.
I have a NAD C370 @ 120Wpc and a Rotel Rx-1052 @100Wpc. The NAD drives Athena AS-F2s and the Rotel drives Athena AS-F1s. To me there is no differnce in sound quality between NAD and ROTEL. I would suggest just getting the power level and features you want and choose between the two companies.
One other thing you might consider, Rotel and B&W are sister companies. Their products are designed to run together and complement each other nicely. The NAD is nice at that pricepoint, but it doesn't have as extensive multi-room compatibility like the rotel, and it wasn't made to go with B&W's, like the rotel.
