Very clear, natural and agile trebles, imaging and mid-range are very very satisfying, good, well-defined and controlled basses

None. Mid-Range and Bass might disappoint for some tastes, but I sugest a change in speakers then

It's for a 971 MkII:
It's great sound quality, folks. It strips each and every sound from whatever the source. Could be a bit more exhuberant with the bass but for me it's just perfect (you can always pump up by turning its tone control). And I appreciate almost every music genres. Tested with Chris Isaac, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Vicente Amigo, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Wagner Tannhauser by Sinopoli, among others. Always way above average. Highly recommendable. And I have had it for two days, so I expect things to improve even more.
My system now:
Int. Amp.: Rotel 971 MkII
Speakers: B&W 601 S2 (they go very well with this amp)
CD Player: Technics PG480A (it's old and probably not perfect, but got a new breath now)
Cables: Ixos Bronze interconnect (for CD)
Tape deck, Turntable: AKAI's

Cheers

Similar Products Used:

Rotel, NAD, Audionote, AKAI

articulation, ambience, price, built, power

thin metallic condensed treble, overall dryness, too open:as if a reverbe module is involved

this review is for the mk2 version.
like all rotels it is better then the rest in its price groop, but fails to convince so you allways end up whith a good value machine that reminds you that you didn't spend much but you are not just there yet.

advice:don't listen to it with the rotel's dcd 971, it adds more tizzines to highs and harshness.

Similar Products Used:

cyrus III, nad c-320, creek 4330, kenwood kaf 3030r

Good clean 70 Wpc. Maybe not the best, but certainly well worth the money.

Anyone out there own this?

if you want a system that is fast and detail and doesn't burn a hole in a pocketthis is a amp for you.What more can you ask for a amp that can deliver 70 watts
per channel(450 sing dollars)and give the bigger names a run for money in its
category.Its good for rock , jazz and vocals with its tight bass and clean mids.Partner it well and it will have you smiling.Current system comprises Arcam
5 cd player,Audio Alchemy dac-in-the-box,tannoy m2 speakers,Soniclink silver pink interconnect and VDH cs122 spk cables.

This is a quality integrated amp. It has a beautiful, neutral sound. Everything works extremely well, especially when you take into account the extremely low price. I listened to Creek and Rega integrated amps, and both seemed about equal to the 971. But please go listen. Your ears are the only ones that matter. This is a extraordinary product given price, sound and overal quality. You simply cannot go wrong with this amp at this price.

I certainly agree with the previous poster....the RA971 is a wonderful amp for the price. Clean, lively, detailed...brings find sound to my speakers. Highly recommended in this price range.

I've listened to this amp for about two months with a Rotel RC951 cd player, a pair of B&W DM601's, and an M&K VX7-II sub. My point of comparison is a Creek 4330 that I sent back to the retailer. The Rotel has more audible volume and a brighter sound than did the Creek. I like it much better. The Rotel also has tone controls which the Creek did not have. I frequently adjust the tone controls to customize the sound relative to the music being reproduced and my personal taste. While the Rotel's tone controls alter the sound only modestly, it is sufficient for appropriate adjustment. Some very high priced integrated amps similarly lack tone controls. I don't know why. Listening room acoustics, the production disparities of original recordings, and personal preferences seem to suggest the inclusion of tone controls. For $500.00 the Rotel costs, I don't see (hear) any reason to consider another amp. The Rotel is clear, reveals great detailed highs, and easily fills a 13X16 room with rich sound.

Fast, transparent, refined, Good build quality.

Lacks bottom end drive but not bad.

In summary, I was extremely shocked at how refined this amp sounded right out of the box. Detailed and transparent is how I would describe this amp. I had NAD's c340 integrated for about a week before taking it back. I thought the NAD had too much HF rolloff which didn't work too well with the rest of my system. The NAD sounded a little congested in my system. I felt the Rotel sounded closer to my DIA100 and Bryston 3BST/BP20 combo in terms of mid/HF articulation. The Rotel is a little weak on the bottom end compared to the NAD but it's not bad by any means. I also liked the Creek 4330 very much but felt the Rotel was a better value. I highly recommend auditioning this amp before forking out $$$ on more expensive gear!!!

Similar Products Used:

NAD,Creek,Arcam,Marantz

No deep bass, dry mid-bass, forward mid-range, harsh treble, good dynamic, plenty of power, poor finish, filmsy knobs, over-priced.If you like Rotel's sound (it's you choice!) buy a Yamaha, its value for money is far, far, far, far better.