Rotel CD players: any good?

[NorthStar]

What you guys think of some Rotel CD players in the $500 to $1,500 price range (MSRP, not street), compared to others like Emotiva, Cambridge, NAD, Arcam, Musical Fidelity, Adcom, Primare, Teac, Thule, or any other reliable brand you can think of, in that price range?

I'm talking here about full quality sound from both analog and digital outs, good solid transport, good construction, good for all type of speakers (chameleon type, well blending), and of course the street price will be much less, we all know that already.
That's why my target range is between $500 & $1,500 list.

Any ideas?

[MukAudio]

I haven't compared the new Rotels, but I liked my Arcam (currently for sale in the Emporium, I might add) more than the Rotel RCD-1072.

Mark.

[NorthStar]

Feb 13, 2010 13:42:22 GMT -5 MukAudio said:

I haven't compared the new Rotels, but I liked my Arcam (currently for sale in the Emporium, I might add) more than the Rotel RCD-1072.

Mark.

Hi Mark,

Which model Arcam do you have?

Bob

[ntrain42]

Feb 13, 2010 0:54:06 GMT -5 NorthStar said:

What you guys think of some Rotel CD players in the $500 to $1,500 price range (MSRP, not street), compared to others like Emotiva, Cambridge, NAD, Arcam, Musical Fidelity, Adcom, Primare, Teac, Thule, or any other reliable brand you can think of, in that price range?

I'm talking here about full quality sound from both analog and digital outs, good solid transport, good construction, good for all type of speakers (chameleon type, well blending), and of course the street price will be much less, we all know that already.
That's why my target range is between $500 & $1,500 list.

Any ideas?

Rotel, has always made a good solid overall product. THeir cd players are very good, they do nothing spectacular, but are solid smooth sounding players. I would never buy one at retail price, but if you can find a good used deal on one, its worth taking into consideration.

[MukAudio]

Feb 13, 2010 16:52:05 GMT -5 NorthStar said:

Hi Mark,

Which model Arcam do you have?

Bob

Bob, it's the Arcam CD 93.

Thanks,

Mark.

[NorthStar]

Feb 13, 2010 20:08:23 GMT -5 MukAudio said:

Feb 13, 2010 16:52:05 GMT -5 NorthStar said:

Hi Mark,

Which model Arcam do you have?

Bob

Bob, it's the Arcam CD 93.

Thanks,

Mark.

Yes, that's a very nice player. But I do like the Rotel RCD-1072, as it is much less money for me here. And I think that I can also strike a very nice deal on an older Rotel RCD-971. And of course, both of these have an HDCD decoder. I think?

But a big thanks to you Mark for your straight and honest response, greatly appreciated.

Bob

[montoya]

I have the 1072 have had it for about a year now I like it a really solid player if I bought another it would be a tube cd player. It doesn't do any one thing extremely well but overall it is a well balanced player I tried the emotiva cd player it's also a nice piece but I prefered the rotel overall. The emo has it beat in the price range and that it offers balanced outputs I got mine here at a clearance outlet for 200.00 new in open box so it won in the price department but finding a deal like that is one in a million.

[bigred7078]

the 1072 is a well respected CD player. You can even find some nice modded units on audiogon pretty regularly for nice prices.

[paintedklown]

What about the Rotel RCD-975? Does anyone have any experience with them?

My main concern would be with reliability. I am always a little "sketchy" about buying used products with lasers in them.

[NorthStar]

Mar 1, 2010 14:06:42 GMT -5 paintedklown said:

What about the Rotel RCD-975? Does anyone have any experience with them?

My main concern would be with reliability. I am always a little "sketchy" about buying used products with lasers in them.

The Rotel RCD-975 (circa 2000) is also a great CD player with dual Burr-Brown Dacs and jitter reduction circuitry. Rotel has always made some very good CD players for the money. But like I said, it is already just over 10 years old.

* Their newest one is the RCD-1520 that retails for $999, with Wolfson Dac, HDCD indicator, but not decoder!!!, and it has great reviews all around. The design is simply gorgeous with a very thin slot disc tray. That is the one I'm trying to get a deal on.

But like that previous poster just mentioned, he found the RCD-1072 for only $200 (new)! Now, that is a serious bargain.
The 1072 has an internal HDCD decoder, dual Burr-Brown delta-sigma DACs and greatly reduced digital jitter. The retail price was $699. You can spend ten times the cost of this machine, and get maybe ten percent more performance.

If I cannot find a decent price for the 1520, I'm sure I'll get a great price for the 1072. Besides, I got over three hundred HDCD encoded CDs, and my Denon AVR-3805 (with HDCD decoder) is now resting in his box because of newer Onkyo receivers replacements in my home. So, I do need a CD player with an HDCD decoder, and Rotel is it. There is also the Oppo BDP-83 Universal BD player, that also has an HDCD decoder in it, plus direct DSD bitstream over HDMI for playing my SACDs.
I'm getting that one too (Oppo), only $529 Cdn.
But the Rotel will be a better dedicated CD player, I'm sure.
And even if I can found a good deal on the 972 (or the 971), I will grab it, because it also has an HDCD decoder with dual Burr-Brown Dacs (PCM-63) in differential mode, and low jitter too.

Man! I just love this hobby. It makes you spend money and at the same time having fun.