This will be a great series to show where we are with affordable audiophile products in 2023. Thanks! After all, we need good entry points for getting more people hooked on this hobby and maybe for setting up secondary systems of our own.
How about Rotel? Well ... they were similar to Radio Shack back in the 1970s, you know? They were sold by Mail Order catalog as 'Hi-Fi Starter Systems'. Yeah, and just a shade more detailed in sound than SONY. Rotel were just one step up the Hi-fi ladder from SONY.
@keplermission I still have my Rotel 970-BX integrated amp and CD player with B&W CDM-1 speakers with Wire World interconnect and Monster biwire speaker cables purchased in the late nineties. Sounds fantastic think 🤔 about getting the Rotel A11 integrated amp with CD player with Warfedale Linton Heritage 85 speakers for a upgraded system in 2023. No way I'm selling my old system too many great memories listening to music instead of wasting money on overpriced stereo equipment searching for better sound quality. I'm also keeping my Yamaha M50 power amp, H&H Scott tube amp with Tecnics turntable purchased in the seventies and early eighties with Rectilinear speakers. Rotel equipment has always sounded great for great prices not looks. Marantz, Michi and Rotel were designed by Ken Ishiwata .
I've been using Rotel components since 1994, the first time I ever heard them. Still using my original RB 985 Amp, and now using the RSP 1068 processor (my 2nd Rotel processor), and my original RCD 975 CD player. Running through my original Snell Type D (main) speakers :-). Still loving them.
I’ve had a splendid time with my Rotel gear. No-nonsense, good value, and a house sound that’s neutral with a touch of spice on top and bottom for fun’s sake. Clean
I have had three Rotel CD players and one Rotel integrated amp over the past 30 years. I still have two of the CD players. One is a nearly 20 year-old RCD-02, which is still going strong. Rotel products not only have great sound quality but quite probably the best build quality in their class.
Well ... one thing about build quality is that Steve is from a bunch of people that still reckon a heat-sink is there to keep transistors cool. You know heat-sinks are pretty complex, they're about keeping transistors at the right temperature to give best sound so, if you put something on top of the vents ... it's bad news.
I have owned tons of amps over the past 20 years from nice brands and some very high end brands. Parasound, Krell, Proceed, Mark Levinson, Mcintosh, Primare, Adcom and so much more. Til this day my go to is Rotel & parasound. I own the Rotel A12 integrated amp and to me i cant hear a difference when using it or my mcinstosh or krell KAV amps i have and they cost a ton more. So much i sold off everything and only kept my rotel A12, Parasound HCA1500 amp and my Rotel RMB1095 amp. The older parasound amps that start with HCA when John Curl was there and the Rotel line of their Class A/B stuff just sounds so good. I am sorry but My rotel sounds just as good or better then every other thing i have ever owned.
Thanks Steve for your informative videos. As not being english speaking (Netherlands), I never miss a word of your talks. You take the time, and have a good intonation. So you are very understandable for me. Thank you again for that.
I am also impressed by the price-quality ratio at Rotel. I'm currently enjoying it with a two year old RA-1572 mk2 integrated amplifier and 23 year old B&W CDM 7SE speakers. I would not change the speakers, because if I wanted the same quality, I would pay a multiple of € and that without taking inflation into account.
I've had the CD11 Tribute for a year or so, and I've liked it so much that I've gone from about 50 CDs to about 500 CDs since then (I love how cheap good used CDs can be these days). I enjoy putting a CD on just as much as an LP. The DAC in the unit is very musical but still resolving. I preferred to use the analog outputs more than running the coax into my existing DAC, at least until I got a Denafrips Ares II.
The supplied 18g power cord is limiting performance by a lot. I replaced the power cord with a generic 14g cord I had laying around in my box of assorted cables. This resulted in increased performance in every sonic parameter. A marvelous no cost sonic upgrade!
Did you by any chance run into an issue with skipping in the later tracks of discs? I've been considering the CD11 Tribute but found many reports of that problem.
I don't personally own the CD11 but purchased the A11 tribute 6moths ago and was blown away with the quality of the sound. I just recently upgraded my speakers to the KEF LS50 Meta's and this beast came alive.. The sound is simply amazing. I read a bunch of reviews stating the A11 tribute wouldn't provide enough power to run the LS50 Meta's.. I completely disagree. I couldn't be happier and I was able to pick up the LS50's on black friday for just under 1K.
I'm glad you are pro tone controls. I hope more high-quality manufacturers follow Rotel, Yamaha, and Denon, etc., and build in high-quality tone controls again. I won't consider an integrated amplifier without them. Thanks for this review.
@thedownunderverse so I can adjust the sound character to my taste. I usually like a little more bass and a touch less treble. High-quality tone control centered at the right frequency can complement the sound. If you listen to LPs, you are listening to RIAA tone control through the phono preamplifier. Yes high quality tone controls add to the cost, but it's worth it to me.
Steve, thank you! I have the Rotel A11 Tribute in a second system which I love. I use a Oppo 103, thanks to your review I will probably invest in the new Rotel CD11 MKII. BTW IN 2005 you reviewed the Wharfedale Pacific Evolution series, whilst you didn’t review the Pacific Evo 10’s as part of that series, based on your review of the rest of the series and a listening session at the time I bought them - I still have them.
You know Radio Shack ... made their name selling not so affordable Tuner-Amps. A whole load of us Americans had believed that Realistic were the best bang for the buck, but only as a whole system bought at a reduced price. Bought separately, we just didn't get the best deal. Radio Shack stuff needed certain matching speakers that magically eliminated all flaws, present if we mixed their stuff with other brands. Radio Shack had been a sacred place in many towns.
Great review. I would suggest maybe keeping a Ortofon 2M red around to check built in MM phono stages, not because it is the be-all and end-all of MM carts, but because lots of people have some frame of reference for it. I have the low output version of the Grado Platinum 3 and it is also fussy with phono pre-amps. Find the right match and it sings. Find the wrong match and, not so much.
I have a lot more money in my system, but I definitely would not be ashamed to own that good looking Rotel hardware. I recently got the Zu DW6 speakers based on your reviews and they are just great. Otis Taylor has an awesome voice and is worth owning.
Steve is a good editor/music curator. Audio gear picks is spot on. A good balance of aspirational and dream audio gear. I had a separate amp/pre amp Rotel from eons ago. This combo is something I would consider.
I’ve had the Rotel A14 for a couple of years and just love it! It’s 80 watts/channel and throws a huge sound stage, plus it has a usb-a connection on the front panel, which makes streaming directly from an iPhone easy and better than using Bluetooth. Yes, it is more expensive than the A11, but is worth it, IMO. My only question now is whether it’s worth upgrading to the current mk II version.
Rotel have been dependable buys for UK Hi-Fi buyers looking to take their first steps into decent gear. Glad they're making dents in Steve's general sphere!
I must say that I enjoyed this episode a lot because you were reviewing something that could be in my price range (champaign dreams on a beer budget)! I especially liked the fact that you talked about what music you used for testing. Now I might be able to go to one of those music streaming services and listen to some of those. Keep up the good work. I'm an old audophile from the 70"s.
Steve this would be my go to for anyone living in a small space or just getting into decent hifi from some a lesser all in one system. I have been a fan of Rotel for decades. Their RCD 1572 is a great player. As is their RC 1590 preamp....I have these in a system. What you get for your money here with their entry level is great. Glad Rotel haven't abandoned class AB like others are slowly doing.
You know Steve reckons power at 4 ohms by rights gives twice that at 8 ohms, but let's not forget that at 4 ohms, higher power is then more distorted. Yeah but Technics 'New Class A' of the year 1980 would give only 5 watts less at 8 ohms than at 4 ohms. Everybody rates these vintage sets as the best of all time and power at 8 ohms certainly didn't double at 4 ohms, they were strange amplifiers for sure. We never forgot about them!
I love that the circuit board hasn’t changed in 20 years on rotel integrated. They don’t reinvent the wheel every quarter. Rotel integrated amps sound fantastic on full range drivers, I would never have suspected this but the small dynamic jumps at the micro level pop out and give real energy. I’m holding out for Decware but if it doesn’t do what the Rotel does I’m going right back to it.
Be sure to replace the supplied 18g power cord with a 14g cord. I used a generic one I had laying around in my box of cables. This resulted in a noticeable sonic improvement in every parameter.
My main stereo system is still a Rotel RB-06 and a Rotel RC-06. The cheapest Rotel separate system from the mid 00’s. I haven’t had the need to replace them, they’re good enough for me.
Great to see you review components in my price range - not that you don't, but it seems like it's been a while. That's a killer shirt by the way - kudos to Mrs. Audiophiliac!
I fell into your orbit about 8 months ago. I remember you mentioning you didn't have too many women following you. I've been into stereos since 1974 (age 13) when my sister's husband gave me his old stereo with a turntable and speaker combo. I also got gifted any duplicate records that my sister and her husband had. She's 9 years older and this included Woodstock, Beatles, Hendrix, Santana, and more. Been an audiophile since then. Enjoying the mid range reviews as well as the "rob a bank" items. Your advice and music taste rock!
Steve, I’m sitting in my room listening to some Miles Davis, and a thought popped into my head. My system is not high end, but it works very well for me. The three major parts of my system, the speakers, the integrated amp, and the turntable, have been altered by my hand. Changed the feet on my Jamo tower speakers. Changed the fan in my Dayton Audio hybrid tube amp, and removed the cueing lever on my Fluance RT85, which is not placed well, and altered it for better operation. I wonder how many of your listeners have reworked their systems and to what degree? Poss this question to them. It might be interesting.
Hi Steve , great interesting video, I bought the A11 cd11 tribune I wonder what’s the difference in audio , I like that Rotel put back the tone controls . From your review that a11 have built in dac, I had to by a dac for my set up and have a ifi zen v2 . It’s great that Rotel put in in built Dac. I have also noticed that Rotel changed their dac chip set from burr brown to the texes chip set on the A11 and Cd11 now That’s hope that Rotel make a T11 mk2 has the 12v trigger I/p as my T11 doesn’t, I can’t understand why Rotel left it off, the A11 has 2 trigger outputs available . May I ask Steve what drop headphones you used were they 6xx or 8xx. I have just done the custom cans bass mod for the 6xx and much improved the lower bass frequencies. I do agree with you with the remotes that fully functional not as good quality compared to other hi fi manufacturers . I also noted that the mk2 has dropped the option for 2 sets of speakers also pre output sub o/p . Always enjoy your excellent content. Regards mark
I spent my 1200 on a Audiolab 7000cdt and a second hand Rega elex r, amazing phono stage and I already have a dac, money well spent, I’ll send you some pictures 😂
Nice 👍 review . Would love to see you review the Buchardt Anniversary 10 , as well as some of Canton speakers ( apparently getting serious about the U.S. markets in 2023 )😊
I had atoll in80 sig (pre update) at home too to try, before I bought cxa81. How could I forget about atoll. It is special amp. I belive that comparing rotell to atoll in50 might mean compare it to one of the best in class. Atoll amplifier has imporessive sound. It snaps by different way. When for example sax starts to play I felt almost like sombody blows on sax in my room. And all this is happening in considerably black background, layering I did not know what does it mean before listen music on this amp. I did not take it because I found it a bit wierd when listening nina simons or simmilar singing, were a bit over emphasis on top end to my ears. So as reported by many I agree it is a bit overemphasis on upper midrange. But as also reported atoll has recently slightly updated this particular think, it sounded to some people a bit agresive atc, so I will come back to this amp definitely sonner or later definitely.
I owned an RX303 for a long time. Very reliable, but the sound was not great compared to the Sansui Au555a i replaced it with. Still really like Rotel though.
I'd like to see some turn table reviews and I'd like the reviews to include some brand new high quality pressings, and then some older pressings that may not be quite as high quality. You had a viewer/friend in an older video that had a Rega RP3 with Zu speakers and another upper end table. He used the RP3 for his used punk recordings IIRC. The high end table was used with audiophile pressings. I'd also be interested in reviews of couple years old gear if it is regularly available as some of us budget mid fi guys buy trade in gear from some of the music shops. I can't afford a sportscar new but they depreciate nicely. :) Thank you for the review. Well thought out as usual.
Thanks Steve for all the informational content, can you play small snippets of the music you listen too, and also can you show us your steps to setting up the equipment and speakers your are showcassing. The reason I ask is I moved one speaker set to another room and they sound FLAT. Tried different angels, seperation, no luck. Seems the smaller set sounded better than the large floor standing speakers. It might have something to do with room height. Can you explain or have a show on proper speaker replacement for different size speakers. On one of your shows you had speakers set up in one room and they didn't sound right so you moved them to another room and they sounded much better. Explain..... Thanks!
I find it interesting that the phono stage misses the mark. I bought a Rotel preamp new over 30 years ago and the phono stage never sounded right. About 10 years ago, I opened up the amp and saw that between the to phono sections, Rotel used a tantalum capacitor to couple the stages. After reviewing the design I determined that the two stages could be coupled directly together without concern for DC offsets. Wow what an improvement. This seems like Rotel intentionally sabotaged the lower end pre-amp's phono stage because I know they would know not to use tantalum in an audio path. I wonder what might be wrong with the integrated amp in your review?
Thanks for the review Steve, great as usual. As the A11MKII is Rotel's entry level integrated, wonder if you have or looking to review Rotel's mid priced A14MKII integrated priced at $1,699? Would love to hear your thoughts on this amp with an improved built in DAC and say compare vs Cambridge CXA81 or Audiolab's 7000A, etc.. Cheers!
@johnljubic9948 I own a CXA61 and a Rotel A14mkii, I bought the A11mkii and auditioned it against both the CXA61 and A14 back to back on same speakers. All the recent Rotel mid-fi models sound exactly the same as they have similar DAC's and design architecture, as do the C.A., A11, A12, A14, are all going to sound within eyelashes of each other. But the Cambridge sound very different than the Rotel, the Cambridge are very colored and are V shaped. The C.A. sound great, love their "house sound", but it's definitely not a neutral sound, and they have no tone controls. The Rotel sound very flat compared to the C.A., but if I crank up bass and treble on the Rotel to about +5ish, it sounds very, very, close to the C.A. sound. I ultimately prefer the Rotel because the build quality is just superior in terms of fit and finish, feel of knobs and buttons, etc. I also really like the volume control on the Rotel, you can really fine tune it, the C.A. is very sensitive and makes it tough to make fine adjustments. And I have like 6 pair of speakers, most are sub $1500, and they really benefit from tweaking the tone controls to suit each speaker (i.e., if a speaker is bass heavy you can adjust it, etc.), with the C.A. you're just kind of locked in to their house sound, which again is great, but no opportunity to fine tune. Moreover, I gravitate to neutral amps, you can always add a little spice with tone control, but a neutral starting point is nicer to my ears because it pairs well with more speakers, and speakers all have big personalities compared to amps imho. I think Rotel and C.A. are at opposite ends, one is very flat the other is not, I own and appreciate both, I swap them out every few months when I'm bored of one sound. If I could afford only one, Rotel all day long, better build quality, neutral sound, very resolving DAC's, and tone controls on board.
My first ever (right after your Anniversary too) disappointment (or complaint?) like 'comment.' ---- PLEASE REMEMBER you are the Best there is.... Basically, I feel I struggled to know when we were talking about the CD or the Amp. 'Two': I wanted the CD Player used on other amps to compare as an option someday. DONE! :) ALL THE BEST Cause you ARE!
My Bernard Hermann LP is actually on Phase 4. I've always found the Mysterious Island soundtrack music kinda frightening 😮! And those late '70's/early '80's records do take me back to some artists swallowed-up by obscurity. (Whatever happened to The Fabulous Poodles?) I do hear sometimes startling differences in DACs on occasion.
Steve, I have a suggestion for an affordable line. Nuprime Audio...power amps, dacs, pres......they even make their own Class D power module. Barely any hifi manufacturers do that. They were formerly Nuforce. So they have some pedigree. Please get in a piece or two and share your opinions.
I know Steve is highlighting new products but I would put my Adcom GFP 565 / GFA 535 heads up against the Rotel and at around $800 in good used condition it is king when compared to anything under $1000 made today. Thanks to Nelson Pass and Walt Jung
@melprophet1936 You got it! I still have some old Adcom gear myself from the mid 90’s. A GFA 5503 and a GFP-750. This was still made in the U.S. at the time and is built like a tank. The amp alone weighs close to 60 lbs. Adcom is not the most “pretty” gear, similar to NAD in my opinion as far as looks, but it’s great stuff. I’m not sure why it never became more popular. I get what Steve is promoting here. Good decent budget Rotel equipment in his opinion. I’m sure it is good, but as “turbomustang84” noted, good used Adcom is far better. As you pretty much stated as well too. Cheers!
@@Shaken_AND_Stirred More years ago than I care to admit while in college I worked at Nobody Beats The Wiz in NYC selling stereo equipment. All the kids who worked there in that dept were basically young audiophiles or at least geeks for components. None of us listened to the gear we sold and we did not to my memory at least sell Adcom...One of my co-workers was a huge Adcom fan and became a life long friend. He has an Adcom 555 I think it is from 1985 or 1986. Still works, still a beast...but kinda ugly (to your avg buyer) as you noted and probably that's why they didn't gain quite as much attention as they should have. Take care!
Hi Steve ! Love the show, keep up the good work ! I am using an echo dot connected to the tuner input on my Yamaha integrated amp. Is there something else I can use to get a higher resolution signal to feed into my amp ? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated . Thanks, Christopher Ehrhorn
Thanks for the review, do you think the A10mk2 could drive my Ditton3 Celestion, they are quite easy to drive, 8 ohm and 92db? I think there would be any issue, just maybe the fact that these speakers are a bit open sounding and don't really know how they can pair with the Rotel. Today is almost impossible to test and audition gear easily, so these reviews are precious, thanks again :)
I, personally have issues with products which don't contain the ability to adjust mid-range. It doesn't necessarily eliminate the equipment it is just a check mark in the negative category. Though in an overall personal review and how Mids handling across the range without Mid control determines my like or dislike. And if it's dicey and it's higher end equipment then it's out. Though I have had some nice equipment in the past that did not have Mid control and it was acceptable. Now however it's even more important as I aged along with my detest for muddy bass which is part of Mid control..IMO. And yes I realize the Speaker Component and consider that as well.
CD players and transports seem to be making a slow comeback. I’ve personally never stopped buying CDs, although I buy more records as far as physical media, and streaming music is very convenient… but, CDs are a good happy medium.
As nice as the mkii is, i still prefer the mki. Rotel has eliminated all the features accessible through the units LCD display which obviously isn't present on the new unit. The remote has less control as well with many features (buttons) being removed to access them. I'm glad we've got the mki as after seeing them both now i couldn't be certain I'd buy the mkii being less of a feature rich product.
I'd like you explain the equations on today's shirt. Looks like a giant jumble. My favorite T-shirt says "And God said let there be light" followed by the 4 lines of Maxwell's Equations and ending with "And there was light".
Anyone know if the Rotel A11 has gapless playback with programmed consecutive tracks? I like to listen to specific parts of CDs and if these programmed sections happen to have tracks that segue into one another, ie. classical music, gapless playback is very important. Some manufacturers like NAD and Cambridge Audio have dropped this function in the latest version of their players and it's appalling if you ask me!
Hi Steve! I wish you would review the WiiM Pro. I installer it in my system and cannot find a reason why I would buy something better. WiiM Pro > Ares 12 > McIntosh c50 > McIntosh mc352 > Klipsch La Scala + 2X REL Tzero. Is there a better streamer ( sonically) out there. Thanks Steve love your reviews!
What would you recommend for a relatively affordable integrated tube amp that has a phono input (for a MM cartridge) with a sub out, driving a pair of Klipsch RP-600 M II?
WOW a couple components I can actually see my self buying. I couldn't buy those four or five thousand dollar CD players / transports you reviewed a couple videos ago. WELL I could buy them but I would need someone standing behind me twisting my arm and holding my wallet open.
This will be a great series to show where we are with affordable audiophile products in 2023. Thanks! After all, we need good entry points for getting more people hooked on this hobby and maybe for setting up secondary systems of our own.
How about Rotel? Well ... they were similar to Radio Shack back in the 1970s, you know? They were sold by Mail Order catalog as 'Hi-Fi Starter Systems'. Yeah, and just a shade more detailed in sound than SONY. Rotel were just one step up the Hi-fi ladder from SONY.
I have a Rotel power amp and preamp that I bought in 1994 still going strong. Only had it in the shop once for a minor repair.
I have a Rotel power amp and preamp that I bought in 1994 still going strong. Only had it in the shop once for a minor repair.
@keplermission I still have my Rotel 970-BX integrated amp and CD player with B&W CDM-1 speakers with Wire World interconnect and Monster biwire speaker cables purchased in the late nineties. Sounds fantastic think 🤔 about getting the Rotel A11 integrated amp with CD player with Warfedale Linton Heritage 85 speakers for a upgraded system in 2023. No way I'm selling my old system too many great memories listening to music instead of wasting money on overpriced stereo equipment searching for better sound quality. I'm also keeping my Yamaha M50 power amp, H&H Scott tube amp with Tecnics turntable purchased in the seventies and early eighties with Rectilinear speakers. Rotel equipment has always sounded great for great prices not looks. Marantz, Michi and Rotel were designed by Ken Ishiwata .
@keplermission You are a 🧌 Troll stay off the internet with misinformation please 🙏
I've been using Rotel components since 1994, the first time I ever heard them. Still using my original RB 985 Amp, and now using the RSP 1068 processor (my 2nd Rotel processor), and my original RCD 975 CD player. Running through my original Snell Type D (main) speakers :-). Still loving them.
I've had a load of cd players and the 975 is the only one that hasn't needed any work done, and always sounds right.
i love the old Rotel .. i still have a old pre amp from roten and i love it
Man I’d love those snells
I’ve had a splendid time with my Rotel gear. No-nonsense, good value, and a house sound that’s neutral with a touch of spice on top and bottom for fun’s sake. Clean
I have had three Rotel CD players and one Rotel integrated amp over the past 30 years. I still have two of the CD players. One is a nearly 20 year-old RCD-02, which is still going strong. Rotel products not only have great sound quality but quite probably the best build quality in their class.
Well ... one thing about build quality is that Steve is from a bunch of people that still reckon a heat-sink is there to keep transistors cool. You know heat-sinks are pretty complex, they're about keeping transistors at the right temperature to give best sound so, if you put something on top of the vents ... it's bad news.
Nice choice of products. Rotel are good amps and cd:s. I have always loved the brand.😀
I have owned tons of amps over the past 20 years from nice brands and some very high end brands. Parasound, Krell, Proceed, Mark Levinson, Mcintosh, Primare, Adcom and so much more. Til this day my go to is Rotel & parasound. I own the Rotel A12 integrated amp and to me i cant hear a difference when using it or my mcinstosh or krell KAV amps i have and they cost a ton more. So much i sold off everything and only kept my rotel A12, Parasound HCA1500 amp and my Rotel RMB1095 amp. The older parasound amps that start with HCA when John Curl was there and the Rotel line of their Class A/B stuff just sounds so good.
I am sorry but My rotel sounds just as good or better then every other thing i have ever owned.
Thanks Steve for your informative videos. As not being english speaking (Netherlands), I never miss a word of your talks. You take the time, and have a good intonation. So you are very understandable for me. Thank you again for that.
Thanks for watching!
I am also impressed by the price-quality ratio at Rotel. I'm currently enjoying it with a two year old RA-1572 mk2 integrated amplifier and 23 year old B&W CDM 7SE speakers. I would not change the speakers, because if I wanted the same quality, I would pay a multiple of € and that without taking inflation into account.
I've had the CD11 Tribute for a year or so, and I've liked it so much that I've gone from about 50 CDs to about 500 CDs since then (I love how cheap good used CDs can be these days). I enjoy putting a CD on just as much as an LP. The DAC in the unit is very musical but still resolving. I preferred to use the analog outputs more than running the coax into my existing DAC, at least until I got a Denafrips Ares II.
The supplied 18g power cord is limiting performance by a lot. I replaced the power cord with a generic 14g cord I had laying around in my box of assorted cables. This resulted in increased performance in every sonic parameter. A marvelous no cost sonic upgrade!
@@alskooper3319 Interesting. I'll have to give that a try. Thanks.
@alskooper3319 18g 14g ??? I have the Tribute cd player but I'm in UK so different power supply. Agree it's a great player at this level 👍
Many earlier CD issues have a wider dynamic range than remasters that often have sound compressed 👍
Did you by any chance run into an issue with skipping in the later tracks of discs? I've been considering the CD11 Tribute but found many reports of that problem.
I don't personally own the CD11 but purchased the A11 tribute 6moths ago and was blown away with the quality of the sound. I just recently upgraded my speakers to the KEF LS50 Meta's and this beast came alive.. The sound is simply amazing. I read a bunch of reviews stating the A11 tribute wouldn't provide enough power to run the LS50 Meta's.. I completely disagree. I couldn't be happier and I was able to pick up the LS50's on black friday for just under 1K.
I'm glad you are pro tone controls. I hope more high-quality manufacturers follow Rotel, Yamaha, and Denon, etc., and build in high-quality tone controls again. I won't consider an integrated amplifier without them. Thanks for this review.
Why do you like tone controls, may I ask?
@thedownunderverse so I can adjust the sound character to my taste. I usually like a little more bass and a touch less treble. High-quality tone control centered at the right frequency can complement the sound. If you listen to LPs, you are listening to RIAA tone control through the phono preamplifier. Yes high quality tone controls add to the cost, but it's worth it to me.
I love the fact that the amp layout is still the same as 25 years ago.
Yup if it aint broke dont fix it.
Great video Steve. Definitely a product I’d consider buying. Love the idea of putting some more affordable products on the channel.
I use a Rotel 1592 mk2 integrated with my maggie 1.7i and enjoy that combo a lot.
Steve, thank you! I have the Rotel A11 Tribute in a second system which I love. I use a Oppo 103, thanks to your review I will probably invest in the new Rotel CD11 MKII. BTW IN 2005 you reviewed the Wharfedale Pacific Evolution series, whilst you didn’t review the Pacific Evo 10’s as part of that series, based on your review of the rest of the series and a listening session at the time I bought them - I still have them.
Back in the 70s Rotel made their name producing high-quality affordable Tuner-Amps. A lot of my friends had one
You know Radio Shack ... made their name selling not so affordable Tuner-Amps. A whole load of us Americans had believed that Realistic were the best bang for the buck, but only as a whole system bought at a reduced price. Bought separately, we just didn't get the best deal. Radio Shack stuff needed certain matching speakers that magically eliminated all flaws, present if we mixed their stuff with other brands. Radio Shack had been a sacred place in many towns.
Great review. I would suggest maybe keeping a Ortofon 2M red around to check built in MM phono stages, not because it is the be-all and end-all of MM carts, but because lots of people have some frame of reference for it. I have the low output version of the Grado Platinum 3 and it is also fussy with phono pre-amps. Find the right match and it sings. Find the wrong match and, not so much.
I have a lot more money in my system, but I definitely would not be ashamed to own that good looking Rotel hardware. I recently got the Zu DW6 speakers based on your reviews and they are just great. Otis Taylor has an awesome voice and is worth owning.
Steve is a good editor/music curator. Audio gear picks is spot on. A good balance of aspirational and dream audio gear.
I had a separate amp/pre amp Rotel from eons ago. This combo is something I would consider.
Your reviews are stellar. Thank you.
I’ve had the Rotel A14 for a couple of years and just love it! It’s 80 watts/channel and throws a huge sound stage, plus it has a usb-a connection on the front panel, which makes streaming directly from an iPhone easy and better than using Bluetooth. Yes, it is more expensive than the A11, but is worth it, IMO. My only question now is whether it’s worth upgrading to the current mk II version.
Great review! I hope the new Musical Fidelity A1 Class A integrated amplifier ($1699) is on your radar.
Today's system of the day is what I aspire to. MBL X-tremes with MBL amplifiers… This guy's got it right!
Rotel have been dependable buys for UK Hi-Fi buyers looking to take their first steps into decent gear.
Glad they're making dents in Steve's general sphere!
I must say that I enjoyed this episode a lot because you were reviewing something that could be in my price range (champaign dreams on a beer budget)! I especially liked the fact that you talked about what music you used for testing. Now I might be able to go to one of those music streaming services and listen to some of those. Keep up the good work. I'm an old audophile from the 70"s.
It's just too bad Rotel removed the A10's pre-amp outputs going to the Mk2. But they added an IR remote, so... progress (?)
What a system of the day! Daahaaamm! Super nice.
Steve this would be my go to for anyone living in a small space or just getting into decent hifi from some a lesser all in one system. I have been a fan of Rotel for decades. Their RCD 1572 is a great player. As is their RC 1590 preamp....I have these in a system. What you get for your money here with their entry level is great. Glad Rotel haven't abandoned class AB like others are slowly doing.
You know Steve reckons power at 4 ohms by rights gives twice that at 8 ohms, but let's not forget that at 4 ohms, higher power is then more distorted. Yeah but Technics 'New Class A' of the year 1980 would give only 5 watts less at 8 ohms than at 4 ohms. Everybody rates these vintage sets as the best of all time and power at 8 ohms certainly didn't double at 4 ohms, they were strange amplifiers for sure. We never forgot about them!
Steve, Thank you very much!
The Naim Nait quietly awaiting judgement while resting atop the the Pass Labs headphone amp.....
I love that the circuit board hasn’t changed in 20 years on rotel integrated. They don’t reinvent the wheel every quarter. Rotel integrated amps sound fantastic on full range drivers, I would never have suspected this but the small dynamic jumps at the micro level pop out and give real energy. I’m holding out for Decware but if it doesn’t do what the Rotel does I’m going right back to it.
I was just looking at this yesterday, crazy!!!
Amazing coincidence. I ordered the Rotel CD11 Tribute yesterday. I ordered it in black but that silver looks lovely.
Be sure to replace the supplied 18g power cord with a 14g cord. I used a generic one I had laying around in my box of cables. This resulted in a noticeable sonic improvement in every parameter.
Thanks for this review Steve. This A11 MKII may be my upgrade from my Camabridge AXA35
My main stereo system is still a Rotel RB-06 and a Rotel RC-06. The cheapest Rotel separate system from the mid 00’s. I haven’t had the need to replace them, they’re good enough for me.
Great to see you review components in my price range - not that you don't, but it seems like it's been a while. That's a killer shirt by the way - kudos to Mrs. Audiophiliac!
Love the looks of Rotel amps. Also hear they sound good. Thanks for review.
I fell into your orbit about 8 months ago. I remember you mentioning you didn't have too many women following you. I've been into stereos since 1974 (age 13) when my sister's husband gave me his old stereo with a turntable and speaker combo. I also got gifted any duplicate records that my sister and her husband had. She's 9 years older and this included Woodstock, Beatles, Hendrix, Santana, and more. Been an audiophile since then. Enjoying the mid range reviews as well as the "rob a bank" items. Your advice and music taste rock!
Thanks so much, nice to hear from you.
Robyn Hitchcock is just the best.... He puts on a great live show.....
NAD has a 50th anniversary modern version of their 1970 amps. The C 3050 integrated amp at a reasonable price of $1,399.
I love my old rotel gear. Because my god the new prices
I LOVE my old Rotel A10 Analog 🥰
Thank you for your music recommendations, they are great
Two beautiful and affordable pieces of hifi heaven.
Your music choices are fantastic! Just in this video alone!
So thank you!
Thanks for watching!
Steve, I’m sitting in my room listening to some Miles Davis, and a thought popped into my head. My system is not high end, but it works very well for me. The three major parts of my system, the speakers, the integrated amp, and the turntable, have been altered by my hand. Changed the feet on my Jamo tower speakers. Changed the fan in my Dayton Audio hybrid tube amp, and removed the cueing lever on my Fluance RT85, which is not placed well, and altered it for better operation. I wonder how many of your listeners have reworked their systems and to what degree? Poss this question to them. It might be interesting.
Hi Steve , great interesting video, I bought the A11 cd11 tribune I wonder what’s the difference in audio , I like that Rotel put back the tone controls . From your review that a11 have built in dac, I had to by a dac for my set up and have a ifi zen v2 . It’s great that Rotel put in in built Dac. I have also noticed that Rotel changed their dac chip set from burr brown to the texes chip set on the A11 and Cd11 now That’s hope that Rotel make a T11 mk2 has the 12v trigger I/p as my T11 doesn’t, I can’t understand why Rotel left it off, the A11 has 2 trigger outputs available . May I ask Steve what drop headphones you used were they 6xx or 8xx. I have just done the custom cans bass mod for the 6xx and much improved the lower bass frequencies. I do agree with you with the remotes that fully functional not as good quality compared to other hi fi manufacturers . I also noted that the mk2 has dropped the option for 2 sets of speakers also pre output sub o/p . Always enjoy your excellent content. Regards mark
Actual knobs.....YES!!!!!
I’ve been enjoying my A12 for a few years now. I have it paired with Definitive Technology BP6 towers.
I love your reviews, but I think a better comparison to the Atoll, would have been the Rotel A14 MkII.
Exactly. Also Hegel 190 would be an interesting comparison. (A11 beats Hegel a95 hands down in my experience).
I spent my 1200 on a Audiolab 7000cdt and a second hand Rega elex r, amazing phono stage and I already have a dac, money well spent, I’ll send you some pictures 😂
Спасибо, отличный обзор!! 👍 Усилитель с B&W 607 S3 у меня уже имеется, А ROTEL CD 11 хочу купить, в будущем
Steve, love your reviews. Could you please review the Arcam A5? thanks
You make me happy that I purchased a Cambridge integrated amp instead of the Rotel.
Nice 👍 review . Would love to see you review the Buchardt Anniversary 10 , as well as some of Canton speakers ( apparently getting serious about the U.S. markets in 2023 )😊
I trust you and your sincerity
Apart from the servo volume knob and BBT knobs, any improvements (noticeable) over the A11 Tribute?
I had atoll in80 sig (pre update) at home too to try, before I bought cxa81. How could I forget about atoll. It is special amp. I belive that comparing rotell to atoll in50 might mean compare it to one of the best in class. Atoll amplifier has imporessive sound. It snaps by different way. When for example sax starts to play I felt almost like sombody blows on sax in my room. And all this is happening in considerably black background, layering I did not know what does it mean before listen music on this amp. I did not take it because I found it a bit wierd when listening nina simons or simmilar singing, were a bit over emphasis on top end to my ears. So as reported by many I agree it is a bit overemphasis on upper midrange. But as also reported atoll has recently slightly updated this particular think, it sounded to some people a bit agresive atc, so I will come back to this amp definitely sonner or later definitely.
I owned an RX303 for a long time. Very reliable, but the sound was not great compared to the Sansui Au555a i replaced it with. Still really like Rotel though.
I'd like to see some turn table reviews and I'd like the reviews to include some brand new high quality pressings, and then some older pressings that may not be quite as high quality. You had a viewer/friend in an older video that had a Rega RP3 with Zu speakers and another upper end table. He used the RP3 for his used punk recordings IIRC. The high end table was used with audiophile pressings.
I'd also be interested in reviews of couple years old gear if it is regularly available as some of us budget mid fi guys buy trade in gear from some of the music shops. I can't afford a sportscar new but they depreciate nicely. :)
Thank you for the review. Well thought out as usual.
My Rotel RCD 1070 needs a new belt but this CD 11 looks worthy.
Thanks Steve for all the informational content, can you play small snippets of the music you listen too, and also can you show us your steps to setting up the equipment and speakers your are showcassing. The reason I ask is I moved one speaker set to another room and they sound FLAT. Tried different angels, seperation, no luck. Seems the smaller set sounded better than the large floor standing speakers. It might have something to do with room height. Can you explain or have a show on proper speaker replacement for different size speakers. On one of your shows you had speakers set up in one room and they didn't sound right so you moved them to another room and they sounded much better. Explain..... Thanks!
I find it interesting that the phono stage misses the mark. I bought a Rotel preamp new over 30 years ago and the phono stage never sounded right. About 10 years ago, I opened up the amp and saw that between the to phono sections, Rotel used a tantalum capacitor to couple the stages. After reviewing the design I determined that the two stages could be coupled directly together without concern for DC offsets. Wow what an improvement. This seems like Rotel intentionally sabotaged the lower end pre-amp's phono stage because I know they would know not to use tantalum in an audio path. I wonder what might be wrong with the integrated amp in your review?
How about making the screen on the CD player as big as the window?
I would love to see reviews of older kit. How it stacks up to new stuff being a fraction of the price
Beautiful design.
Thanks for the review Steve, great as usual. As the A11MKII is Rotel's entry level integrated, wonder if you have or looking to review Rotel's mid priced A14MKII integrated priced at $1,699? Would love to hear your thoughts on this amp with an improved built in DAC and say compare vs Cambridge CXA81 or Audiolab's 7000A, etc.. Cheers!
@johnljubic9948 I own a CXA61 and a Rotel A14mkii, I bought the A11mkii and auditioned it against both the CXA61 and A14 back to back on same speakers. All the recent Rotel mid-fi models sound exactly the same as they have similar DAC's and design architecture, as do the C.A., A11, A12, A14, are all going to sound within eyelashes of each other. But the Cambridge sound very different than the Rotel, the Cambridge are very colored and are V shaped. The C.A. sound great, love their "house sound", but it's definitely not a neutral sound, and they have no tone controls. The Rotel sound very flat compared to the C.A., but if I crank up bass and treble on the Rotel to about +5ish, it sounds very, very, close to the C.A. sound. I ultimately prefer the Rotel because the build quality is just superior in terms of fit and finish, feel of knobs and buttons, etc. I also really like the volume control on the Rotel, you can really fine tune it, the C.A. is very sensitive and makes it tough to make fine adjustments. And I have like 6 pair of speakers, most are sub $1500, and they really benefit from tweaking the tone controls to suit each speaker (i.e., if a speaker is bass heavy you can adjust it, etc.), with the C.A. you're just kind of locked in to their house sound, which again is great, but no opportunity to fine tune. Moreover, I gravitate to neutral amps, you can always add a little spice with tone control, but a neutral starting point is nicer to my ears because it pairs well with more speakers, and speakers all have big personalities compared to amps imho. I think Rotel and C.A. are at opposite ends, one is very flat the other is not, I own and appreciate both, I swap them out every few months when I'm bored of one sound. If I could afford only one, Rotel all day long, better build quality, neutral sound, very resolving DAC's, and tone controls on board.
Sweet, viewer system of the day .
'Enjoy your reviews Steve, but was hoping for more info on how/whether these MII's improve on their respective predecessors
My first ever (right after your Anniversary too) disappointment (or complaint?) like 'comment.' ---- PLEASE REMEMBER you are the Best there is.... Basically, I feel I struggled to know when we were talking about the CD or the Amp. 'Two': I wanted the CD Player used on other amps to compare as an option someday. DONE! :) ALL THE BEST Cause you ARE!
How does this compare to the A11 Tribute?
That Bernard Hermmann recording is really great, I have it on MoFi vinyl.
My Bernard Hermann LP is actually on Phase 4. I've always found the Mysterious Island soundtrack music kinda frightening 😮! And those late '70's/early '80's records do take me back to some artists swallowed-up by obscurity. (Whatever happened to The Fabulous Poodles?) I do hear sometimes startling differences in DACs on occasion.
Steve, I have a suggestion for an affordable line. Nuprime Audio...power amps, dacs, pres......they even make their own Class D power module. Barely any hifi manufacturers do that. They were formerly Nuforce. So they have some pedigree. Please get in a piece or two and share your opinions.
I know Steve is highlighting new products but I would put my Adcom GFP 565 / GFA 535 heads up against the Rotel and at around $800 in good used condition it is king when compared to anything under $1000 made today.
Thanks to Nelson Pass and Walt Jung
Your Adcom gear would blow this stuff away. I don’t think it’s really a comparison.
@@Shaken_AND_Stirred I agree completely
@@Shaken_AND_Stirred Pretty much comparing apples to oranges.
@melprophet1936
You got it!
I still have some old Adcom gear myself from the mid 90’s. A GFA 5503 and a GFP-750. This was still made in the U.S. at the time and is built like a tank. The amp alone weighs close to 60 lbs.
Adcom is not the most “pretty” gear, similar to NAD in my opinion as far as looks, but it’s great stuff. I’m not sure why it never became more popular.
I get what Steve is promoting here. Good decent budget Rotel equipment in his opinion. I’m sure it is good, but as “turbomustang84” noted, good used Adcom is far better. As you pretty much stated as well too.
Cheers!
@@Shaken_AND_Stirred More years ago than I care to admit while in college I worked at Nobody Beats The Wiz in NYC selling stereo equipment. All the kids who worked there in that dept were basically young audiophiles or at least geeks for components. None of us listened to the gear we sold and we did not to my memory at least sell Adcom...One of my co-workers was a huge Adcom fan and became a life long friend. He has an Adcom 555 I think it is from 1985 or 1986. Still works, still a beast...but kinda ugly (to your avg buyer) as you noted and probably that's why they didn't gain quite as much attention as they should have. Take care!
Great review, but i think the cd player CD14MKII has Texas Instruments 24-bit/192kHz DAC and not 32-bit/384kHz as mentioned in the video??
It’s pronounced Ray Day- Viz, Steve. No worries . All of us Yanks have made the same mistake. Great stuff as usual.
I was about to say the same. I, too, am a recovering Day-Vees mispronunciator.
Hi Steve !
Love the show, keep up the good work ! I am using an echo dot connected to the tuner input on my Yamaha integrated amp. Is there something else I can use to get a higher resolution signal to feed into my amp ? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated .
Thanks,
Christopher Ehrhorn
Thanks for the review, do you think the A10mk2 could drive my Ditton3 Celestion, they are quite easy to drive, 8 ohm and 92db? I think there would be any issue, just maybe the fact that these speakers are a bit open sounding and don't really know how they can pair with the Rotel. Today is almost impossible to test and audition gear easily, so these reviews are precious, thanks again :)
Disappointed you didn't compare it to the IOTAVX SA3 that you raved about two months ago, even if you had to do it by "memory'".
Underwater Moonlight is a great album. A cult classic
I, personally have issues with products which don't contain the ability to adjust mid-range. It doesn't necessarily eliminate the equipment it is just a check mark in the negative category. Though in an overall personal review and how Mids handling across the range without Mid control determines my like or dislike. And if it's dicey and it's higher end equipment then it's out. Though I have had some nice equipment in the past that did not have Mid control and it was acceptable. Now however it's even more important as I aged along with my detest for muddy bass which is part of Mid control..IMO. And yes I realize the Speaker Component and consider that as well.
Never mind the tech, man, that shirt!
You can use the CD as a transport it's got digital out, did you try the digital out into the amplifies DAC ?
Yes, sounds a little better using the digital output to the amp.
CD players and transports seem to be making a slow comeback. I’ve personally never stopped buying CDs, although I buy more records as far as physical media, and streaming music is very convenient… but, CDs are a good happy medium.
As nice as the mkii is, i still prefer the mki. Rotel has eliminated all the features accessible through the units LCD display which obviously isn't present on the new unit. The remote has less control as well with many features (buttons) being removed to access them. I'm glad we've got the mki as after seeing them both now i couldn't be certain I'd buy the mkii being less of a feature rich product.
STEVE...YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL PERSON ❤❤
Steve, maybe i missed it. Did you mention where these were made?
I'd like to see the Tribute CD-11 compared to the Emotiva ERC-4. Steve didn't mention what the word "Tribute" means. It's tribute to Ken Ishiwata.
I wish Rotel had done rotary knobs like on this, on the A11 Tribute it got tactile buttons instead why would they do that.
Thanks.
Do think this amp has warmer character than other amps?
Kind regards
Hello teacher! Does this equipment have digital input? Or can I only connect to the TV via RCA? greetings!
I'd like you explain the equations on today's shirt. Looks like a giant jumble. My favorite T-shirt says "And God said let there be light" followed by the 4 lines of Maxwell's Equations and ending with "And there was light".
Anyone know if the Rotel A11 has gapless playback with programmed consecutive tracks? I like to listen to specific parts of CDs and if these programmed sections happen to have tracks that segue into one another, ie. classical music, gapless playback is very important. Some manufacturers like NAD and Cambridge Audio have dropped this function in the latest version of their players and it's appalling if you ask me!
How does the A11 Mk2 amp and CD player compare to the Tribute versions?
Hi Steve! I wish you would review the WiiM Pro. I installer it in my system and cannot find a reason why I would buy something better. WiiM Pro > Ares 12 > McIntosh c50 > McIntosh mc352 > Klipsch La Scala + 2X REL Tzero. Is there a better streamer ( sonically) out there. Thanks Steve love your reviews!
@SteveGuttenberg would this be an all around better counting amp than my older Rotel 980BX
What would you recommend for a relatively affordable integrated tube amp that has a phono input (for a MM cartridge) with a sub out, driving a pair of Klipsch RP-600 M II?
2 in 1- knock it off! It's almost like multi- tasking!
WOW a couple components I can actually see my self buying. I couldn't buy those four or five thousand dollar CD players / transports you reviewed a couple videos ago. WELL I could buy them but I would need someone standing behind me twisting my arm and holding my wallet open.