Build quality is good and the faceplate is attractive.

Too cold sounding. Very laid back and uninvolving. Not dynamic at all. Avoid using neutral sounding interconnects with this unit.

Superb quality, very analogue current sound.

Superb quality, very analogue current sound.

Great CD-Player for the price. Low jitter resulting in good imaging, well delineated notes. It's non-sterile sounding, with low noise, and overall pretty smooth. Like a lot of Rotel equipment there is a slight emphasis in the upper mids and also balancing this with components that have a dip in this area.. or even the speakers themselves being on the smooth side, can tone this done somewhat if it bothers. I run these with a pair of Audio Note AX 2's, gotten on demo stock for $650 cdn, which have a smoothness I've never heard at their price and this probably helps in that regard.. It's also very well built; and though I usually don't care about styling too much I must say it's a pretty attractive cd player. Overall it's a nice balance of warmth and clarity in a budget model.

After being more than thrilled by the results of my Rotel pre/pro combination, I felt it was time to audition the RCD-1072 player. Prior to purchasing this player, I was using a Cambridge Audio 640C as the main source in this system. While a good player in its own right, I felt it became very bright at times when used in tandem with the Rotel components. Soon thereafter, I went to the local dealer, Hi-Fi Sales in Cherry Hill, NJ. I auditioned this player and liked what I heard.

It wasn't until after the long burn-in process that the Rotel showed what it could do. It easily bested the Cambridge player. It is a more refined, and dare I say warm, player. The soundstage, particularly the depth, is incredible. When turning up the volume with the Cambridge, the music simply became louder. Turn up the volume with the RCD-1072 and it literally feels like you're moving up rows in an orchestra or rock concert. This player is a very precise unit, and really shines with excellent recordings. I know this has been touched by several reviewers before me, but let me say it again -- the background is extremely quiet.

I've been listening to this unit for just over two years now, and it's been marvelous player. No reliability issues at all, which is always good!

My 8-year old Njoe Tjoeb died on me. I needed a replacement. I went to the local hi-fi shop. I sampled the Cambridge Audio 840, Rega Apollo, Rotel 1520, and the Rotel 1072 (new old-stock). The Rega Apollo hung-up consistently in loading -- wouldn't buy that particular unit for sure. Once playing, none of them was heads-and-shoulders above the other. And they all sounded nice (maybe I have a tin ear -- I doubt it, and my wife did a true blind test and chose the 1072), some more so than others on any given track. So I bought the least expensive one -- the NOS Rotel 1072 at $499. As opposed to the relatively "smaller" amps they were hooked-up to in the shop, my Krell KAV 500i has really made the 1072 sing once it got home. My view, based on this, is that while a good source is important, clean amperage is key to the listening experience (and I say that having moved up from the Krell KAV 300i).

I purchased this CD Player to upgrade and old Pioneer unit and to match the Rotel Integrated Amp that I purchased about a year ago. This combo has out of this world value in terms of both sound and pedigree (the CD player has been on the AS recommended list for years now). It competes with units costing up to twice the money.

The Rotel brings clarity and extension (bass and treble) to my rig; switching out the old Pioneer was like night and day. Music of all types sounds good on this player, lifelike and with gusto.

System: Rotel RA-1062 Integrated, Goertz Micro Purl Silver interconnects, Paradigm Mini Monitors v.4.

Cost, Sound Quality, Ease of Operation, HDCD, Appearance.

None that I can think of!

Recently I've upgraded my system and one of the components was a Single Tray Dedicated CD Player to replace a Denon DCD 1500 that was over 10 years old. After review and listening to several units, I happened upon a Rotel RCD 1072 that blew away many more expensive units.

The Rotel truly brings out every detail, has so much clarity and depth that results in a hugh soundstage. All genre's of music sounds superb on the Rotel. Just an add note, the Rotel RCD 1072 was awarded Best Product by Absolute Sound a few years back and it's clear to see why.

My current system is a Jolida JD302RC Integrated Tube Amp and a Pair of Restored JBL L100A's

This is a true audiophile quality CD player that rivals those costing many time more! I would hesitate for a second to recommend it to anyone.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Denon DCD1500

Sound, Value$$$, HDCD, Pedigree (Absolute Sound Product Of The Year)

FF button

I'm using my $700 Rotel 1072 with $4,000 speakers and a $6,500 amp, and it works beautifully. What a value! I like having HDCD since I have a lot of Grateful Dead Dick's Picks and the newly remastered studio albums. My only complaint about the player is the FF button. On most players, the FF will become progressively faster, but with the Rotel, there is only one speed, and it's not very fast. In other words, if you want to FF to the mid-point of a twenty-minute song, it's not convenient. There is a trick top get a slightly faster speed, I learned. Push the pause button, then hit the FF.

- Clear Smooth sound
- Heavy Chassis
- Looks and feels like a heavy duty unit, not some cheap plastic thing from Costco

- Funky wing handles on front of unit
- remote looks cheap, looks like it does not belong with the unit
- List price is $699, For $700 it just plays one cd at a time.

The Rotel RCD 1072 is an excellent CD player. I had a Marantz CD 63SE that I had bought in the mid 90's, that I thought was the best value for the money in CD players. The Marantz finally broke down, so I started looking for something newer. I did attempt to play my cd's on my Denon DVD 900, but this was hopeless. Do NOT listen to anyone who tells you, DVD players are good enough for CD's.

The Marantz sound, which I thought at the time was excellent, is very crisp and clear, but compared to the Rotel, somewhat harsh. The Rotel produces a very smooth, and effortless sound. The reproduction is clear, with very good imaging. It is a soothing sound compared to the Marantz. The Rotel is the kind of player that just blends into the room and you forget about it and concentrate on the music.

The Rotel has a good feel to the unit. It has a solid feel to it, with a heavy chassis, which no doubt helps the sound quality. It is an excellent CD player in this price range.

My setup:
Rotel RCD 1072
Parasound HCA 1200 AMP (205 watts /ch)
Parasound PLD 1500 Pre amp
B&W 805s speakers

Customer Service

Not required

Similar Products Used:

- Marantz CD 63-SE
- Sony 5 CD changer
- Various generic CD players
- Various testing on DVD players for CD's

HDCD playback Ridgid chassis Extremly good electronic parts Proper CD/HDCD playback (clean,separation of instruments, dynamic, technically correct output signal)

No dimmer on the display Disk drawer is flimsy, but used cautiously its ok Remote is plastic, but key layout is good.

Another excellent cd player made by Rotel and manufactured in China. The chassis and the electronics are top class. A very well designed DAC stage and also the audio stage contribute to the famous Rotel cd/HDCD playback.

Similar Products Used:

NAD Sony ES Pioneer Elite Cambridge Audio D500