Price Paid:  $500.00 from Dealer

Summary:
I've owned this modest integrated for 8 years and it has been the primary amplification in my office system for the entire time. With Audiogon and Ebay offering the opportunity to aquire used gear at attractive prices I thought I would offer up a brief opinion on this no longer available integrated. The nuts and bolts review is that this is a very fine amplifier that far exceeds expectations when used with appropriately warm speakers, such as PSB B-25 or Dynaudio 52s. This amp will have no problem driving 4 ohm speakers and can increase power to 100 watts or so under difficult loads without strain or notice. Weighty, dynamic, soundstaging and the ability to capture ambience are all very well rendered through this little Rotel. In fact, the Rotel does this much better than several other considerably more expensive and well reviewed amplifiers that I have auditioned over the years. Just a fantastic integrated that would require the spending of much more money to be bested.

Strengths:
Ability to drive difficult loads, very good at ambience retrieval, soundstaging and subtlety.

Weaknesses:
A little dry on top, but not offensively so if partnered with warm speakers. I would avoid clincal and ruthlessly revealing speakers with this amp. No remote. I would not declare any weaknesses of this integrated unless it cost $2000. It would take that much to better in many areas.

Similar Products Used:
Creek, Portal, NAD, Jolida.

Price Paid:  $350.00 from Australian dealer

Summary:
The RA-970BX is an excellent amplifier. There is no need for me to qualify in any way all the very positive reviews that have gone before. In my system, it is driving Paradigm 3SEs, with a Yamaha T-1 tuner and a Denon DCD-735 CD player as sources. I can't fault its performance. I've auditioned much more expensive gear at hi-fi dealers, but you really have to go to big dollars to notice any real difference.

Strengths:
Very good build quality, great sound, nice minimalist faceplate.

Weaknesses:
A remote would be helpful when you're very relaxed, late at night.

Similar Products Used:
An oldie, Monarch Series 8000, great amp!

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I have allways wanted to own this very Rotel since it was at the fore front of What hifi recommended amps in 1997.

The amp is vibrant with very sweet mid range, and also total control on the lows.
The bass is earthshaking.
It lacks a phono input, therefore I am pairing it with the NAD PP1 phonostage for the Turntable signal input.
it is an excellent integrated amplifier

Strengths:
Mid range & Soundstaging. Full dynamics at low sound levels

Weaknesses:
Nothing

Similar Products Used:
Pioneer A-400

Price Paid:  $350.00 from century stereo

Summary:
RA-970 BX - Great amp!!. Own it for 2+ years.

Really opened up the soundstage with my speaker (which I was getting ready to replace before I bought it.

100% recommended!!

Strengths:
great sounds, purist controls

Weaknesses:
none

Price Paid:  $300.00 from Bracks (Richmond Hill)

Summary:
Well, Ive had this beast for about 4 1/2 years now. Ive gone through a couple speaker changes in this time, (Paradigm Titans, Soliloquy 5.0's, now Totem Sttafs). Ive gone through a couple source changes (Denon CD, Cambridge Audio CD6, now Cambridge Audio CD 4se). But never a amp change.

I have always thought that I should post something, but because production was halted in '97 was their a point? Absolutly! Now that I am fully trapped in audiophilia, i realize that used equipment is where its at.

If you are looking for a used intergrated solid state -regardless of wattage- buy a RA 970BX. Simple as that. I have listened to a lot of great systems in the last couple of years and the presence of my Rotel compares to every one of them IMHO. For a student/appartent/office system it cant be beat. I guess the people with more money than they can spend will not even look at it, but thats their loss.

Actually, in some cases (ie last weekend at my fav audio shop) when listening to the new J Roland intergrated ($9000) i was left feeling kinda empty, just like the music it was creating! It was coupled with Soliloquy 6.3's and I know they sound good from listening to them in differnt setups. Its a nice feeling to listen to a 25 000$ system then go home and realize that you 5000$ system is comparable! - keep in mind that with the right amp it would have eaten my system alive! - but regardless.

The Rotel has good soundstageing, a nice stridant upbeat feel, but still has lots of lushness right in the mids where u want it. It has nice control over my drivers too. It really moves the tight,accurate bass we all love and apprecaite. I enjoy the plebian front (one large knob, 4 small selector knobs, 1 small red light over the power switch).

The only real drawback I have found is I attempted to use it to bi amp my speakers (you heared me...)the amplification circuts are diffent for main/remote speakers so i hooked them up. there was no bass what so ever, the power supply (while being high current)just doesnt have the real umph to work double time - of course it wasnt designed for that i guess! I dont really think the average person would try that anyway, only the crazy's like me. The bright part is i realized that every part of the amps circutry is fused. I blew three differnt ones. Fixed it myself.

So if you have made it this far, here is my final comment; I have a (IMHO) well thought out, matched budget system. I have spent about 5000$. It compares to 20 000$. I owe it all to my '97 Rotel RA 970BX. Thank you Rotel. Some day it will be upgraded - but not forgotten. And definatley not replaced for under 5 000$. Makes you think.

My System
Cambridge Audio CD 4se
Clarity Cables (IC's)
Rotel 970BX
Homemade heavy duty speaker cable (10gauge fine strand 99.999 O2Free copper terminated with gold bananas)
Totem Acoustic Sttafs with the tweeter upgrade.

Strengths:
Tight Bass, Crisp Treble

Weaknesses:
None (bang for buck its very good)

Similar Products Used:
small NAD, larger Rotels, OCM 500(!)