Rotel RB990,991,1080 Sonic differences??

I had the 990 & 991 power amps and the only difference internally is that the 991 had balanced inputs... All other parts are exactly the same. I have both schematics and they are EXACTLY the same other than the fake heatsinks on the 1080 & 991. The 1080 I believe has the 12V trigger circuit as well.

Soundwise 990 & 991 sound exactly the same.... 1080 is probably very close if not the same....

I hope this helps...

Dan

Thanks much. Did you find the detachable power cord a good thing or just another annoying variable to screwup? The power cord thing bugs me. When I look inside and see the little wires it goes right back to it seems so stupid to mess with the garden hose . I know there are differences but what a pain. Would you change out a 990 for a 991?? Keith

If I may chime-in uninvited, the point of an after-market power cord isn't (or at least shouldn't be) that it's thicker than the stock cord -- it should be that the design of the after-market cord does a better job of preventing a lot of junk (RFI and EMI) from getting into the chassis. Stock power cords can both receive RF noise from other sources, acting almost like a radio antenna, and contribute junk of their own.

The good news is that some of the best after-market power cords are also some of the least expensive -- notably those made by Signal Cable, which is silly-good at what they do. The owner will be very candid with you via e-mail if you contact him, too, since he doesn't need the work.