Rotel has something going on?

[DrStranger]

Just checked out their website, all the receivers are not listed anymore (or I am blind), anyone know if they are putting up something new?

 

[AdamG]

Looks fine to me. Lots of new products and amps. Maybe you had a bad link.

Rotel

Rotel manufactures high end consumer electronics for stereo, home theater and whole house audio systems.

www.rotel.com

 

[GD Fan]

It would be fun to see more of their stuff tested here.

 

[ban25]

Definitely would love to see an update to the RAP-1580MKII with full HDMI 2.1!

 

[dlaloum]

Yes, you are right, all the AVR/AVP sections have been "emptied"....

But the section has been left in place.

Sounds to me like they are preparing to release a new range.... and Rotel has been a Dirac based provider... would be nice to have another DLBC competitor in the marketplace!

 

[chelgrian]

Looks fine to me. Lots of new products and amps. Maybe you had a bad link.

Rotel

Rotel manufactures high end consumer electronics for stereo, home theater and whole house audio systems.

www.rotel.com

So for me currently the pages for receivers and processors are there if searched for via Google but at least on the mobile site the only section under 'home theatre' on the menu is multichannel amplifiers. No sign of any receivers or processors.

 

[DMill]

I would also like to see some modern Rotel gear tested here. My first hi-fi system 30 years ago was Rotel and B&W. In hindsight the Rotel stuff was very good. They used to be audiophile on a budget. Now their offerings cost as much or more than Marantz, Yamaha, Denon, NAD and others, so they better be good.

 

[dlaloum]

I would also like to see some modern Rotel gear tested here. My first hi-fi system 30 years ago was Rotel and B&W. In hindsight the Rotel stuff was very good. They used to be audiophile on a budget. Now their offerings cost as much or more than Marantz, Yamaha, Denon, NAD and others, so they better be good.

My first "New" Integrated Amp was a Rotel.... and they have always been reliable and good quality over the last 40 years!

But where they were a budget brand 40 years ago - that role has been taken over by others (particularly some chinese brands) - and they have moved to mid market and up....

 

[only.shallow]

I would also like to see some modern Rotel gear tested here. My first hi-fi system 30 years ago was Rotel and B&W. In hindsight the Rotel stuff was very good. They used to be audiophile on a budget. Now their offerings cost as much or more than Marantz, Yamaha, Denon, NAD and others, so they better be good.

Recent review and measurements for Rotel's top shelf CD player: https://www.stereophile.com/content...ng-maxwell-street-rotel-dt-6000-dac-transport

 

[ban25]

I have an A14 MKII integrated that I like quite a bit. It's handsome and solidly built and supports 24-bit/384 KHz playback via USB (Roon) as well as a phono pre-amp for my turntable. It'd be nice if it supported network streaming, but then that's the S14. I would definitely consider a Rotel AVR/AVP with HDMI 2.1 and Dirac.

 

[dlaloum]

I have an A14 MKII integrated that I like quite a bit. It's handsome and solidly built and supports 24-bit/384 KHz playback via USB (Roon) as well as a phono pre-amp for my turntable. It'd be nice if it supported network streaming, but then that's the S14. I would definitely consider a Rotel AVR/AVP with HDMI 2.1 and Dirac.

I would bet, that with what is happening now in the Dirac space, they will come out with something capable of supporting DL-ART....

 

[DrStranger]

Looks fine to me. Lots of new products and amps. Maybe you had a bad link.

Rotel

Rotel manufactures high end consumer electronics for stereo, home theater and whole house audio systems.

www.rotel.com

Not to me, under section 'Home Theater' are just two amps... !?

 

[DrStranger]

Definitely would love to see an update to the RAP-1580MKII with full HDMI 2.1!

Yes!

 

[MRC01]

Recent review and measurements for Rotel's top shelf CD player: https://www.stereophile.com/content...ng-maxwell-street-rotel-dt-6000-dac-transport

Based on the review, the Rotel DT6000 seems unimpressive. No digital outputs, ineffective digital filters, high output impedances in balanced mode. Or just not made for the applications I have in mind.

 

[chelgrian]

Yes, you are right, all the AVR/AVP sections have been "emptied"....

But the section has been left in place.

Sounds to me like they are preparing to release a new range.... and Rotel has been a Dirac based provider... would be nice to have another DLBC competitor in the marketplace!

Given the lack of updates I fear it's more likely they are exiting the AVR/AVP market similarly to AudioLab/IAG did.

 

[Dougey_Jones]

I would also like to see some modern Rotel gear tested here. My first hi-fi system 30 years ago was Rotel and B&W. In hindsight the Rotel stuff was very good. They used to be audiophile on a budget. Now their offerings cost as much or more than Marantz, Yamaha, Denon, NAD and others, so they better be good.

Funny, I've always considered Rotel to be a higher end brand than Denon/Marantz.. Rotel was founded as a family business and as far as I know, is still run by the same family. Their distribution network was facilitated by B&W in the 1980's prior to Sound United and the massive consolidation that took place thereafter. Yamaha, like Sony, has the ability to produce state of the art equipment basically whenever they feel like it, just depends on their goals for the product segment in any given year.

I consider Rotel to be the third leg of the Japanese holy trinity of hi-fi, with Luxman and Accuphase completing the triangle.

 

[ban25]

Funny, I've always considered Rotel to be a higher end brand than Denon/Marantz.. Rotel was founded as a family business and as far as I know, is still run by the same family. Their distribution network was facilitated by B&W in the 1980's prior to Sound United and the massive consolidation that took place thereafter. Yamaha, like Sony, has the ability to produce state of the art equipment basically whenever they feel like it, just depends on their goals for the product segment in any given year.

I consider Rotel to be the third leg of the Japanese holy trinity of hi-fi, with Luxman and Accuphase completing the triangle.

Indeed, and the fit & finish on Rotel gear is very nice. That said, high-end D+M products are made in Japan whereas Rotel is made in China.

 

[Dougey_Jones]

Indeed, and the fit & finish on Rotel gear is very nice. That said, high-end D+M products are made in Japan whereas Rotel is made in China.

I think the "Made in China" label doesn't really hit the same as it used to. Some of the best (on paper) performing gear in the world comes out of Shenzhen nowadays, including many ASR favorites. Rotel was ahead of the curve in moving their operation to Shenzen (2005) and owns the production process start to finish, including QA.

Darko did a nice write-up on the facility - https://darko.audio/2015/03/rotel-electronics-a-zhuhai-factory-tour/

 

[DMill]

I consider Rotel to be the third leg of the Japanese holy trinity of hi-fi, with Luxman and Accuphase completing the triangle.

My Rotel gear (I had a 5 cd changer and tuner also from them) did not have anywhere near the fit and finish of Luxman or Accuphase. That said, in a blind test, I probably couldn’t have told the difference between them.

 

[Dougey_Jones]

My Rotel gear (I had a 5 cd changer and tuner also from them) did not have anywhere near the fit and finish of Luxman or Accuphase. That said, in a blind test, I probably couldn’t have told the difference between them.

I wasn’t suggesting that Rotel was always equivalent to the other two. Don’t forget that Luxman has produced some mediocre shlock over the decades as well.