I'm using this amplifier to drive my 18-inch subwoofers (two JBL 4645B) and I'm very pleased with its performance. The bass responce is very tight and accurate regardless whether I use the amplifier for home theater purposes or just using it when listening to music. An excellent amplifier for a reasonable price.

Enough power to run my VERY inefficient Magnepan speakers, balanced inputs, bullet-proof construction.

None

I needed an amp under $1500 that was ballsy enough to drive my Magnepan 1.6QR speakers. I auditioned quite a few amps in the $750-1500 price range, and this amp blew the doors off all but one of the others I heard, the only equal being the newest incarnation of the same amp, the RB-1080. I was able to get the RB-991 for considerably less than its $1000 list price as a dealer demo, but it's well worth that Grand, and more. The bass is tight yet airy, it can drive just about any speaker on Earth and it even looks cool. What more can you ask for? If you can find one of these used or as a dealer demo, jump on it. If you can't, check out the RB-1080. It sounds about the same.

Similar Products Used:

Adcom GFP-5400, Classe' CAP-80, NAD 317.

i have listened to this amp and does anybody know how many amps per channel it gives?

Clean strong power

Power cord

My setup consists of the following

Denon 3801 Receiver
Rotel 991 Amp
Sony CDPEX530
Pioneer 717DVD
Mission M74 Fronts
B&W 601 Rear
B&W centre

As soon as I hooked this baby up I was majorly disappointed. The CD I was playing was confused and the bass sounded horrible all sloppy and undefined. I was worried that my speakers were not capable of handling this amp even tho I had it turned it right down. I quickly swapped CDs and WOW suddenly everything was right, crisp clear sounds and forceful bass was fulling the room. This amp was exposing poorly recorded CDs for what they were. (I use alot of CD-Rs also) some poorly recorded original CDs produced disappointing results but others left me thinking I could never go back. I have not being using this amp long but I am impressed in what it brings out in the music. If you're thinking of buying a dedicated amp go for it. I bought the amp on the reccomendations of others and I am not disappointed. I don't think I will be looking to upgrade for a while as I am enjoying my CDs all over again.

I found the amp to be well constructed (I looked under the hood as soon as I got it home) the only thing I might change is the power cord, seems a bit on the cheap side. Apart from that I highly reccomend this product and will look at adding a second Rotel amp to my system in the future.

Similar Products Used:

Denon, Yamaha, Sony

Lots of power and great sound for the money

No the most precise bass in the world

I've been using the RB-991 on my Infinity Kappa 90 speakers for almost a year and I've been very happy with it. However, I started to feel that the lower bass wasn't quite fast and distinct enough. Really fast double bass drum fills, for example, just didn't sound tight enough. I started suspecting my power amp and set out to find another one to try out on my Kappa 90's. I almost stumbled upon an old (early nineties) ADCOM GFA-585 Limited Edition (2X250W/8 ohms, 2X400W/4 ohms). It's the stereo version of the GFA-565 mono blocks. I'd heard good things about it and bought it for $700. When I hooked it up to the Kappas, I could immediately tell that the bass was considerably tighter. Midrange was full and the highs slightly subdued. The Rotel has razorsharp resolution of the highs, but didn't really get a grip of the lows in the same way as the GFA-585. The Kappa 90's are also notoriously difficult to drive and perhaps the RB-991 simply didn't have what it takes to control the bass cones properly. The GFA-585 handles dynamics a lot better too (although they were not poor with the RB-991). Actually, I quite like the highs of the GFA-585, they are never harsh and make listening less fatiguing. It is all down to personal taste, but I think I've taken the Kappas to another level with the ADCOM GFA-585. Comparing the GFA-585 with the RB-991 might not be very fair, though, since the GFA-585 is more powerful and cost at least twice as much when it was new... I still like the RB-991, but perhaps it wasn't the perfect match for my Kappa 90's. The GFA-585 has taken its place in my stereo rack.

Similar Products Used:

ADCOM GFA-585

More Power than you should ever need, THX approved.

Heavy, run's Hot - needs good ventilation

I've had this a while and it sounds great, but this review is more about a common problem and how to solve it.

Rotel uses internal fuses instead of a relay to prevent circuit damage so from power spikes etc so if your amp stops playing through one speaker then the fuses in one side may have popped. Simply remove the top cover and have the amp facing you. Now, there are 2 3amp short glass fuses on each side near the front, so replace the two on the side that has stopped playing. Simple, and you can get the fuses from any car radio shop (Halfords in the UK etc) as thats what they're designed for.

Hope this helps with this small problem

Similar Products Used:

Arcam Alpha 8P

Warm midrange, attenuated highs tame my horns.

No 12V remote on/off

I bought this amp a little over a year ago, here, in the classifieds.

This amp worked wonders on a pair of Klipsch Legends (30s), warming-up the midrange *just* enough, and at the same time rolling off the tweeter slightly, resulting in an overall creamier-sounding presentation. I had previously powered these speakers with a 110W Onkyo receiver, and the difference is very significant.

Back around a year ago, I was putting together a system for the living room. I went through several iterations of speakers, pre-amp, amps, etc. Toward the end, my wife was just shaking her head... at some point or other I think the point of this quest was lost on her...

Anyway, about a month ago, we got digital cable, and I had to remove the transformer/isolator I had been using on the CATV cable. The result was a nasty ground-loop hum through the Rotel. So until I could get around to working (again) on isolating the CATV ground, I disconnected the Rotel, and hooked the speakers back up to the receiver. This is a reasonable mid-fi receiver, by the way, Onkyo TX-DS787. Ran the system that way for two weeks, until I had time to fix the ground. Finally solved the ground problem a couple of weeks ago, and hooked the Rotel back up.

This was on a Saturday, and after I had finished hooking everything back up, my wife asked what I had been doing. I explained, and then subjected her to a little lecture on how the Rotel improved the sound, etc, sort-of defensively thinking I had to justify the time spent, the amp, etc, but her response was words to the effect "oh good... I didn't want to say anything, but this past week I was thinking there was something wrong with the system."

Now, you don't know my wife, but take it from me, that is the highest praise I will ever hear from her for a single mysterious component that she never sees or touches. I expect that we will keep the RB-991 for a long time.

Similar Products Used:

Auditioned competitive products from Parasound, Acurus, Adcom.

Well built, great value for the money

Can run hot unless ventilated properly

I went in to buy the RB-981 (130 watts/channel) but they ordered the wrong amplifier and got this brute (200 watts/channel). It was $1000 but I told them I wasn't paying more than the RB-981 had already cost me, so I got it for $600... what a steal! This amp is truly a great value. I have it paired with the Rotel RA-995 preamplifier. This is a no frills amplifier that is built solidly and made to withstand the test of time. It delivers great sound up and down the spectrum, and I have it pushing a pair of power hungry Definitive Technology BP-2000TL speakers. The RB-991 delivers a realistic sound and can handle any type of speaker, as I've had it hooked up to several. My only reservation is that it ran somewhat hot until I rearranged my electronics cabinet to allow for better ventilation... but it has been fine since. I would heartily recommend this amp to anyone who wants to buy a quality component for a lot less money than the next step up. Unless you want to spend twice its asking price, or settle for something with much less power, this is the amp to buy.

Similar Products Used:

nothing that compares with the RB-991

Clean power

Heavy

Wow! This is one fine, clean amp. Not a lot of dynmic power like Adcom or NAD, but it does deliver the rated power in a very steady, neutral stream. Beautiful highs, warm mids, well defined bass. A stellar amp for the price! I've heard amps at five times the price that aren't as good as this one.

If you can still find one (They stoped making this model in 1998, but its successors are based on the same circuitry), be sure to pick it up. Its well worth the money.

Similar Products Used:

Denon, NAD, Sony, Adcom

Bass, detail, power, build.

For the money, nothing.

Got rid of my five channel AV system (Pioneer DV-717, Sony STR-DA50ES, B+W DM603s2 fronts, JBL Center and Rears) because I hated the stereo replay and I prefer music to movies.

System now comprises of:

Marantz CD6000 KI
Tag McLaren PA10 Pre
Rotel RB991 Power
JBL XTi 80
Van Den Hul Interconnects (very transparent)
QED Silver Anniversary Bi-wire (nice treble and midrange but poor bass)

I just have to say that the above system amazes me. I can listen to it for hours and not tire of the sound. Detail, sound-staging, staggering imagery and really revealing of poor recordings too.

It goes very loud too however I think my speakers are the weakest part of my system - they seem a bit laid back in their presentation especially when compared to my ten year old JBL LX60's. Not enough drive it would seem.

Chinese manufacture means more bang for your buck and I really don't know whether there's any serious competition for the RB991. I paid £500 as this model is now discontinued here and I believe I've bought the best power amp for the money and, whilst the Tag pre is certainly transparent, connecting the CD player directly to the power amp brings extra dynamics and even more detail.

Foundation rattling stuff...

Similar Products Used:

Creek, NAD, Tag McLaren, and other Rotel Pre-Power combos