[Mr. X]

I love Rotel. I made two excellent purchases today that will treat my B&W's very well.

1) Rotel RT-02: I can't believe how much better this tuner sounds compared to the one built inside my RX-1050! So much more crisp and clear. Even though my Rotel receiver had a decent tuner, I needed a separate one to go straight into my pro MD deck. I record a lot of radio on to MiniDisc, but my "tape out" on the receiver is taken up by my MOTU 828 (for 24-bit CD-R recordings through my Mac).

2) Rotel RCD-1072: I went into the shop looking to buy either the Marantz DV6400 or the RCD-02. I was interested in the Marantz because I love Super Audio. I couldn't believe how bad redbook CD's sounded in the Marantz universal player. So unbelievably flat. I hope that anyone buying that is only doing so for SACD & DVD-A, owning a separate CD deck for redbook. The horns on Josh Rouse's 1972 album started jumping out of the 602's when I switched to the Rotel. In the Marantz, all of the instruments seemed to blend together. Also, the build quailty is total garbage. The deck weighs next to nothing. .......then, just for the hell of it, I thought I would sample the 1072 (even though I was happy with the RCD-02). OMG!!!!! The 1072 has INCREDIBLE dynamics! Not only were the instruments and voices jumping out at me (like w/ the 02), but the warmth and feel hit certain levels that I've never experienced with a CD deck. I mean, I could feel it all in my chest! I finally discovered a CD deck that could rival my turntable. They were out of stock on the 1072's, so I won't get to pick it up until Tuesday.

My next component upgrade will probably be the turntable, although I am still very happy with my Technics 1200 (regardless of what people on here will tell me). That table (along with my Ortofon cartridge) is VERY underrated and unfairly panned by audiophiles. I would also like to upgrade my receiver to a Rotel integrated amp (definitely the RA-1070)

 

[Mogul]

Great little "heads up" on the Rotel gear. I demoed the 1072 along with the matching integrated amp on a pair of (I think) B & W 602's, and was quite impressed. I thought it was a great setup for the money; I would expect you'll be quite happy once you get your new pieces hooked up to your B & W speakers.

Unfortunately, the dealer here won't budge on price. I am in Canada, and the local shop sells Rotel gear for US$ MSRP + 50%, which is ridiculous

.

 

[Mr. X]

I haven't picked up the 1072 yet, and now I'm starting to change my mind.

I'm just not sure if $200 more justifies buying the 1072 instead of the 02. Yes, the 1072 is a better deck....yes, you get a little more bass output, and therefore, a broader dynamic range. However, how much more do you really get? $200 more? I'm not so sure.

I'm starting to lean towards the 02. It just seems like a better value.

Seeing as how I'm really enjoying my turntable upgrade right now, I may just hold off on a CDP upgrade altogether. My Yamaha CDX-396 certainly does a great job for an entry level player. Of course, the RCD-02 would be much better, but $400 better? (price after trade-in) Again, I don't know.

What does everyone else think?

 

[soundboy]

Mr.X, only you can decide whether it's worth the $$$.

If you are satisfied with your current Yamaha, perhaps you can hold off the purchase and save up for an even better CD player. Perhaps a SACD/CD player.

 

[Mogul]

That's a good point....if you are OK with what you have, waiting in order to make a bigger upgrade might be a better idea. Too many incremental upgrades can get expensive.

 

[Mr. X]

I went with the RCD-02. It's a much better value, and definitely worth upgrading from the Yamaha. I'm loving it...and it's not even broken-in yet!

 

[Mr. X]

WELL..........I got a chance to REALLY listen Saturday, and, I know it wasn't broken in yet...but the RCD-02 is just too damn lean for my tastes. I listen to a lot of rock, and the bass was just always too buried. Since I decided I didn't need the RT-02 (the tuner in my RX-1050 is just fine)...I took both pieces back.....

...and went with my original choice: RCD-1072. AHHHH.....MUCH, MUCH better. Now I have that "punch" that I was only getting with vinyl.....all instruments in perfect balance; excellent dynamics.....

I now know not to make judgments too early in the listening period....because were my original thoughts wrong about the RCD-02. I ended up really disliking the player.

I finally feel good about everything. Should be awhile before I upgrade again...

 

[robert]

just to toss another monkey wrench (spanner, for those on the east side of the pond) in the gears. MuFi has the V3 X-Ray. English mags seem to like it, a lot. $999 US, if you can find it at a brick&mortar. hehe.