Incredible detail without clinical exposure, solid design, ease of use

Discontinued

This is a simply drop-dead wonderful player. Got it used (the only way now, they've been replaced by the less sturdy RCD971) for $300 from audio-logic.com. The accuracy surpasses all the music I own as far as I know, and I've been playing CDs professionally for quite some time now. The interface is purely Rotel, simple but elegant. Based on the well-loved Phillips OM-9 transport and Burr-Brown PMD63 DAC chips, this piece of work is a delight to listen to, it's sound is sweet, airy, with a tremendous soundstage and subtle dynamics. Note the latter, this is the "flavor" or Rotel in general, laid-back and almost creamy sound. If you're used to super bass punch or brightness, this player may not be your best bet (but it still beats a lot of the competition), but for the listener who defines fidelity as "the effect of being there", this deck is a sure thing, if you don't mind the great savings of buying used. Remember, enjoy the music, not the satisfaction of having the most expensive deck on the block, or having to replace the drywall in your listening room every month.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz 67SE, NAD 514, CAL CL-10

Tonal accuracy and soundstage

None so far

Only had it for about two weeks. Boought from local shop where it was traded in on Rotel RCD 991. This thing sounds very natural. Great with female vocals. Better than I expected with full scale classical too. Great choice if you can find one used until the whole Super Audio / DVD Audio sorts itself out.

Similar Products Used:

CAL Audio Icon MKII Power Boss

Bass, wide soundstage, great detail.

None for the price

Great sound for the price. Paid $300 for a B stock unit that had "minor cosmetic defects", although I could not find them. IMHO, the Rega Planet is really no match for the humble Rotel RCD-975. Great bass, sweet highs, and nice midrange. Get yourself one of these used for a song!

Similar Products Used:

Rega Planet, old Yamaha

No one has actually reviewed this product. Has anyone read any reviews published in hard copy? I understand the Canadian magazine, Andrew Marshall's "Audio Ideas Guide" reviewed it sometime in 1995. It is not a review that Rotel appears to have reprinted for marketting purposes. Was it a negative review? The big question may be "will the RCD-975 be the last CD player Rotel makes." DVD seems to be depressing demand for new high-end CD players. With the discontinuation of the RCD-990, you wonder how much effort a new CD player will get.

Having lived with the RCD-975 for almost a year now, I finally feel qualified to pass ona review...when I went to the dealer where I eventually purchased the 975, I was hoping
to audition the Marantz 67se, because I had read good things about it. The dealer obliged, and then did some switching between the Marantz and the Rotel (which I had never heard of before). Suffice it to say that after listening to the Rotel the Marantz sounded like a box--the soundstage simply collapsed and everything became painfully two-dimensional, or "thin." Lesson #1: listening means more than words. The new 975 I purchased did sound good out of the box, but I only really began appreciating it after a long break-in period (sometimes I still think it's breaking in because the sound keeps improving; that is, I keep noticing greater and greater detail in recordings I've listened to for years). The 975 is exquisite with female vocals (all you need--Cecilia Bartoli and a piano) and jazz (the obvious choice--remastered "Kind of Blue"); however, I had been a bit disappointed with the bass response, having fed the ears on the standard Mega-Bass-Boost college-dorm-special flashing lights mini-system for a few years, specifically on those (becoming more rare) occasions I listen to hard rock/heavy metal. I have since returned to the dealer and listened to his 975 through nearly 10-15 amplifier combinations (I have a really patient dealer) to see if I could discern the same bass problem with other (read: better) amplification. The verdict was unanimous: the lack of bass "slam" was not due to the -975, but my amplification source (budget forces me to stick with the HK Avr25 I still enjoy, albeit hopefully not for too much longer). By the end of this audition, the 975 was displaying wonderful synergy, detail, and bass with the ~$3000 pre/power amp combo I now have my heart set on. No doubt there are better CD players out there, but for the price the Rotel deserves 5 stars...

Awesome creamy sound, great build quality, plays all CDs including CDRs

None!

This CD player is the epitome of high-end CD players. To me, it even sounds better than the highly sought after Rega Planet. The Rotel has a very nice super smooth sound definition. The transport is very well made and strong and reliable. Rotel has a real winner with this CD player. I work in the music studio business and this is the player most sought after by studio pros. A sturdy workhorse for the audiophile. It's just too bad that it is no longer made. Find one used and you will not be dissapointed!

Similar Products Used:

Rega Planet

Superb audio. Cristal clear details. Excellent middles. Smooth sound resolution. Wide soundstage.Tonal accuracy. Clear highs.

None...( except the cheap remote control)

This is to help some people to understand that NEW don't mean neccesary better.

My Rotel opening mechanism is broken. I need tu pull and push the CD door to play my music ( IT PLAYS FINE AND JUST THE open and close mechanism is down) and I started fo search for a better CD player. After 3 years I tough I can find a good deal with a better sound.

For my surprise I can't find anymore true " audiophile" players in Sound Advice where I usually get my audio and video stuff. Not to mention that in Miami only are a few stores selling audiophile equipment and I first pay my visit to Sound Advice. And bought (to test) a Sony SACD SCDC222ES.

When I connected the Sony, I notice inmediatly the " missing" Rotel. Sony 222 is more brilliant and I became " tired" after one hour listening to my " test" records.

I play some Diana Krell music and in no way the Sony was able to match musically the Rotel 975.I notice the loss of the middle was not the same as the Rotel. And the Sony was more " un-natural and " brilliant" in the highs. More " strident" if I can say this word to qualify this unit. Also I noticed that the Sony 222 takes logn time ( about 3 seconds) to read the TOC while the Rotel plays right away any disc in the tray. Jumping from track to track was also fast in the Rotel. And many functions in the Rotel are missed in the Sony. Not big features but ones I'm playing in a daily basis and we can live with.

Rotel is a unit with a " mild and mellow " tonality. Natural sound, and exciting in the middles. Natural in the highs. Very nice unit and not matched by the new 222ES stuff in the market made by Sony.

If at this time you can find and grab any Rotel 975 for any price Get it!!!! You will be happy you did it.

My Sony is packed in order to return it to the store and still searching for a better Rotel or a used 975 in some place. I need to add thatg my Rotel went back to my rack where he belongs. I guess this unit will be here for long time yet.

I really don't care or I'm impressed with the new SACD stuff and I will wait to see what format wins this " famous" war ( SACD vs DVD Audio) and after that..I will make a selection.
After this matter sorts itself out, I will use my " broken" Rotel 975.

Thanks

Lionel

My first encounter with the RCD-975 was late 1997, I listened to it at the local HI-FI dealer coupled to a Rotel 980 amp and Kef Q55 Loudspeakers.What amazed me was the almost perfect transparancy of the CD being able to let the speakers disappear as the point of scource. further more the detail was good and the transport had a nice feel to it (Unlike the RCD990).
I now own a 975 and I love it. It did take forever to break-in but the wait was worth my while.
PS. my system consist of the following:
RCD-975 cd
Harman/Kardon AVI200II Amp
IXOS Interconnect
B&W DM602 Loudspeakers
Linn KU Stone stands
Stinger speaker cable (bi-Wired pair)
Yamaha yst-sw 300 active sub
Thanks.

I just brought home a 975, and will give you my absolutely initial impressions.First, my system:

Luxman RR70 Receiver (used as tuner/preamp only)
Carver AV220 Amp
Mirage 760 Spkrs.
Sony CDP300 CD player <--- being upgraded

As you can see, my original CD player is 15 years old. I bought it for $600 at a fire sale in 1983. It has served well, never been serviced, and cleaned only 3 or 4 times. But it began to have problems tracking, and I knew it was time to upgrade.

My musical selection is varied, but most notably I listen to a lot of Grateful Dead. Many of their recent albums are from original digital material, and if you know anything about the Dead, their sound was everything. Such is the case with their recordings that are offically released.

I looked at many of the standard CD players on the market, mostly in the 200-500 range, and was not impressed. It was very hard to find a single-cd unit. Everybody, even Carver, had opted for a 5-disc player in the MV product. Sony had some nice units, but they looked like video games.

I went to a specialty store, and was introduced to Rotel. I auditioned the 950 and 975, and am currently evaluating on my home system the 975.

On the first few CD's, the difference was striking. The soundfield was incredibly accurate, and overall tightness was impressive. The high end seems a bit exaggerated, but I'm not positive on that. The clarity is also right there.

I spent a little more on this unit than I had originally intended, but I think I will keep it. God Bless Credit Cards!

I took the 975 from one dealer in town as a demo, and took it to a dealer who carried the Rega Planet. We used two identical CD's, timed the two Cd's together, and flipped back and forth between the two. Even the dealer stated that the Rotel sounded better.

Now the clicker...I did this same comparison between this more expensive Rotel and some of their lower priced models...even the Rotel dealer stated he could not tell the difference, or at least state that one was better.

Compared to the Rega, the Rotel was more open, and did not have an exaggerated bass...the latter being the selling point of the Rega to those that find it "less harsh" or more dynamic,,,