Yes, you read the title correctly. This is the one amp that I liked and used the most. It was my trusted companion, even in the presence of amps that did some parts better than this amp.
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This is MY favorite/Perfect support and all around quality
And there is a reason for that. And that is control and quality of every aspect of dynamic scale, and you can even say understanding what being an audiophile is all about. It is not a competition, it is not an overwhelming arc in one aspect of sound or another. It is musicality, and pleasing the listener, allowing them to extend their wings of different genres and helping them get the most out of it.
But certainly not putting all your cards in one hand, rather properly distributing it for just careless sonic pleasures without a fuss or buzz.
I know I sounded a bit dramatic here, I know. But to put it simply, Rotel managed to always be a trusty companion that controlled and molded every song correctly, no matter whether the song was bright, warm, or neutral in production.
And in that way, this amp truly alleviates many anxieties surrounding hi-fi.
Comparison with Rotel A11 Tribute
But let’s start with an amp that I was a huge fan of, and that is the Rotel A11 Tribute. And maybe I should start by comparing the two, what you get, what you lose. You mostly get.
As this is a continuation of the great amp designed by the late Ken Ishiwata, that's where the "Tribute" in the name comes from. Firstly, aesthetics: I am not a fan of either the A11 Tribute or the Mk2, but the smaller form factor of the Mk2 is, in my opinion, far more slick than the bigger Tribute. And yes, a big change upfront is that there is no more screen, which was present in the Tribute.
I personally don’t mind, and I welcome this change if it reflects in sound quality. What I mind is one less analog port. Please, we need as many as we can, don’t remove them.
Neither of them has a subwoofer out, which I think is a big omission and hopefully something that will improve in the future.
For those who are interested, Bluetooth has been improved to a better variety of aptX.
But the biggest change is the DAC. To me, this was a bit of a weak point in the Tribute, but it has received a significant boost. It is still Texas Instruments but now boasting 32-bit conversion, and it sounds much better than its predecessor.
But in reality, the Tribute had to walk in order for the Mk2 to run. Everything great about the Tribute is a bit better here. A bit better soundstage, detail retrieval, bass extension, etc. A bit more at every departure, and to my pleasure, it is even more neutral than the slightly bright sound of the previous model.
The question, “Should you upgrade?” is a bit harder to answer. Is the Mk2 better than the Tribute? Yes, it is. But in my opinion, it’s not even close to being good enough to warrant an upgrade from the previous model. So unless yours got lost, stolen, broken, or just sold so you could buy another piece of gear in the past, then it’s not something I would recommend.
Sound signature and quality
But let’s talk about sound, the reason why all of us are here. The sound of Rotel is the sound of a hard-working father who returns home and can successfully continue his transition into house chores while emotionally supporting his family.
What I wanted to say is that Rotel is your all-around, reliable, balanced sound that can acclimate to any sonic situation with great success. It is not the best, as it does not have the time to be the best, but it does everything, and you can really see effort and control in it.
That control is what you came here for. It is a neutral amp; there are no spikes or V curves, none of that stuff. But across the bass, mids, and treble, there is great control of sound. With its neutrality, the amp can focus and exercise great timing and precision. It, of course, highly depends on how you pair this amp, with which speakers, like anything. But it has a firm grasp of the sound it is supposed to reproduce, and it helps speakers maintain their poise but also colors them how they like.
Most underrated great feature
Clarity and separation of instruments are great here. I actually think one of the most underrated aspects of the A11 is its soundstage. I love how it articulates instruments on a stage. How it gives them space to breathe and communicate with each other. I love the separation that this amp does, even though without using an external DAC, you will not get that blackest background. However, I think the shape and form of instruments are detailed. It spreads out vertically and horizontally really well.
And this provides you with details, which, in the end, is important. This is a neutral amp aimed toward more clinical listeners, and clinical listeners do love their details. It helps them distinguish what is going on in the composition. And while this is not the absolute last word in details for this price range, it compels the mids to remain uncluttered no matter the complexity of the song. I love that; hopefully, you do too. They lack a bit of forwardness, energy, and passion to make them world-class, but for those with clinical ears, you hear everything — the production, the organics, the properties of sound.
Treble & Bass
The treble and bass are really decent here. They don’t extend too much but are nicely controlled and have decent detail to them, which is great.
While the treble is not bursting with energy, you can hear nice separation among percussion and the top end of instruments. They are very rounded, but a bit polite as well. Your analytical mind will be satisfied there, and it will pierce through the mix so you can hear it. Just don’t expect too much energy, punch, or passion there.
The same thing can be said for the bass, but maybe I would love to see this amp help your speakers push more air through them. It was nicely controlled and detailed bass, but there wasn’t so much command here, and I wish there was more power and attack in the bass coming from this amp. Not a big minus by any means, but still, I think there is room for improvement in the future. Just make the bass have more weight and presence.
Problems with this amp
Now, we can continue to the cons of this amp. While the bass is definitely a bit of a disappointment, I think this amp is extremely well-rounded. And that could be its greatest strength and its greatest weakness.
It all depends on how you perceive your sound and what you want, as this amp will not be king in its price range in any category. For those who want an energetic amp, you can get that for the same money in different devices. More bass or more soundstage? Same deal.
From my experience, I can definitely say that I felt it needed to do a bit more in treble and bass to make it more characteristic, more special. If it had a bit more energy and detail there, I think this amp would be a killer in this price range, however you look at it. But for now, some amps do these things better.
Maybe a small issue I have with this device is the lack of a sub-out and perhaps not enough connections. But that is just my wishful thinking. Maybe we can see more future Rotel amps with integrated streamers, like the Audiolab 6000A Play and similar models. I think that would broaden its appeal to more listeners and make it a more popular device.
Pairing and synergy suggestions
Pairing is fantastic with this amp, as I think its more balanced approach to sound signature can accommodate many different speakers. It helps your speakers color the sound however they like. It is an amp that is more in a servant role to the speakers rather than commanding the sound signature. But like with many balanced amps, the worst combination for me is neutral + neutral unless you are a really clinical listener. I actually prefer speakers that are more on the treble or bass side of things.
I loved this amp with Dali speakers, that combination is killer. Also, Q Acoustics was a really nice combo, and some Klipschs as well. Those speakers are the ones I see great synergy with.
Comparisons with other amps in this price range
I want to make my words clearer regarding the title of this video, and I will compare this with some amps I have listened to a lot that are great in this price range. How it fares against them. I will talk about the Denon PMA 600, Rega Brio, Audiolab 6000A, and Cambridge Audio CXA61. All of these reviews you will find on my channel and in the description of this video.
Denon PMA 600NE
The Denon PMA 600NE is a great amp. It is dark and weighty and perfect for brighter speakers. Denon has more control, weight, and attack in its bass. Its vocals are a bit weightier, even smoother to some extent. Denon has an amazing phono stage inside, which I also forgot to mention about the Rotel. The phono stage on the Rotel is great, really, not maybe on Denon’s level, but it does provide value, where for most amps this is an afterthought. But Rotel has a more clear and transparent presentation; its soundstage is bigger and a bit better defined. Rotel’s treble is more open and vivid, less veiled. It just works better for a larger variety of music and sounds, except for movies, where Denon is a much better choice, which also has a subwoofer out.
Read Full Review here:
Marnatz pm6007
The same thing can be said for the Marantz 6007, which has a more musical, smooth sound. One that is a pleasure to listen to in the long run, but in the end, it has the same good and bad as Denon, and the same reflects in comparison to the Rotel. Except Marantz has this very pretty and weighty smoothness, where vocals sound just amazing, better than the Rotel or Denon. But the same here: exceptional bass, but not as developed and extended treble.
Rega Brio
Rega Brio is also another interesting choice. Rega is one of those specialized amps. It specializes in treble, energy, and detail retrieval. Rega has superior treble, it is full of energy, and its detail extraction is amazing, especially in treble. It is a fun and punchy sound. But it lacks a bit of Rotel’s finesse in presentation and control. Rega has more vividness and clearness, more decluttering in the mid-section, and more transparency overall. None of them have exceptional bass, but Rotel is more pronounced. Rotel has a significantly better soundstage and better phono stage. It is more balanced, so the presentation is equally distributed. But if you are a fan of punchy, detailed sound, then maybe the choice of Rega makes more sense.
Read Full Review here:
Audiolab 6000a
The Audiolab 6000A is a highly favored choice in this price range, and for good reason. It has a bit more of an airy sound compared to Rotel's more controlled one. But Audiolab manages to have great richness in the midsection, providing a more open and forward presentation of instruments there. It also has an exceptional openness and soundstage in this price range, which Rotel does well, but Audiolab does better. And where this is mostly noticeable is in the dispersion—how Audiolab opens up vertically and horizontally.
However, my problem with Audiolab is how a bit anemic it sounds with bass and treble. And I know this was a criticism of the Rotel, but here Audiolab’s sound is very airy, and it’s noticeable how it lacks character and definition. Rotel was extracting more details, it was more firm in both bass and treble, making it more versatile for different types of listening. Now, which one is better is a super hard choice. When Audiolab hits, it hits hard and sounds amazing, reaching heights that Rotel can’t quite reach. But in other scenarios, where the music required deep complexity in the mids or more energy or bass, Rotel showed more dependability. So, listen to both and choose whichever fits your preferences best.
Read Full Review here:
Cambridge Audio CXA61
Cambridge Audio CXA61 is a similar choice to the Rotel. Reflecting on my review of the Cambridge Audio, I feel like I might have been a bit too harsh on it. It’s a great dynamic amp that provides a fun sound and has a lot of great inputs and outputs, etc. Its toolkit is definitely more diverse and better than Rotel’s. Even the internal DAC might be slightly better on the Cambridge Audio than on the Rotel. Treble and bass have more definition and presence with the Cambridge Audio. All of that is true, but I still preferred the Rotel. And in simple terms, I liked more how clear and transparent the Rotel sounded, how I could catch more details, how it never overwhelmed me, and how I could use whatever speakers I wanted, which wasn’t the case with Cambridge Audio. The songs sounded a bit more concise and focused with Rotel, even though there was more energy and weight pushed through Cambridge Audio. It could go both ways—these amps are great, and either could be for you.
Read Full Review here:
Conclusion
In the end, I’ve recommended a few great amps, and one might be more for you than the others. It’s all about personal taste. Hi-fi at this level is all about taste-building, you experimenting and discovering yourself. You must understand what you value most as a listener, as in this price range, you will get that with compromises on the other end. Balanced amps in this range are a little bit more problem-free, but they don’t try to compete as the best in class. And sometimes, that’s exactly what you need—especially if you don’t change amps that often. And most of the time, it was enough for me. It was great in every aspect, while some amps did things like soundstage, bass, treble, etc., better... Rotel followed and did some other parts better.
And that’s what made this amp so great—it is good at every aspect. It’s a trusty companion. Its focus, concise reproduction makes this amp act like a chameleon and adjust itself to any sonic background you put on it. It will not blow you away immediately, no, this amp will grow on you. It will take time, but during that time, you will understand how great and versatile it is. You will enjoy the time spent with it, and how it accompanies you, and its balanced nature full of details with a good soundstage will please you so much.
Thank you so much for watching this review. I hope you enjoyed it, and if so, consider liking and subscribing. All the best, keep daydreaming, and see you in the next video!
Pros:
Balanced, Versatile Sound: The Rotel amp provides a balanced and neutral sound that adapts well across different genres without being overly biased towards treble, bass, or mids.
Great Instrument Separation: It offers strong clarity and instrument separation, which is ideal for clinical listeners who value detail.
Improved DAC and Bluetooth: Upgraded DAC (now 32-bit) and better aptX Bluetooth variety improve the sound quality and versatility compared to the A11 Tribute.
Compact and Sleek Design: The reviewer favors the more compact design of the Mk2 over the Tribute's bulkier form, appreciating the sleek appearance.
Solid Phono Stage: Provides good value with a quality phono stage, beneficial for vinyl users.
Wide Compatibility with Speakers: Works well with various speaker types, especially models from Dali, Q Acoustics, and Klipsch.
Improved Soundstage: Good vertical and horizontal soundstage articulation enhances the spatial feel, allowing instruments to “breathe.”
Cons:
Lack of Subwoofer Output: Missing a subwoofer output, which can limit lower frequency support.
Limited Connections: Reduction in analog ports and lack of advanced connectivity features (e.g., integrated streamer).
Subtle Bass and Treble: While controlled, bass lacks power and depth, and treble might feel too “polite” without the energy some listeners prefer.
No Major Improvement for A11 Tribute Owners: While Mk2 is an upgrade, it's not substantial enough to warrant replacing the A11 Tribute unless needed.
Not the Best in Class: In each category (bass, treble, soundstage, etc.), some competitors (like Audiolab 6000A, Rega Brio, and Cambridge Audio CXA61) outperform it.