Explodes the music, fills the room.

Hitting play should restart a song.

I cannot sit and listen to a piece of equipment stright out and give an opinion. I brought my 12 year old ROTEL 855 cd player in to my dealer and had an a/b test set up to compare to the 991AE. UNBELEIVABLE. All of a sudden the musinc expoded and seemed to be coming from 5 directions let alone from a 2 channel system. Most striking was the sound off axis. No matter where I stood in the room the sound seemed to have multiple source points. And depth,,,for the first time there was no question that some instruments were up front while others were far behind. I am very pleased with this unit and look forward to upgrading the components around it

strong low(bass) end, smooth sound authoritative/dynamic(micro and macro) sound, toroidal power supply, changable power cord, dozen or so black gate capacitors and other premium parts like K-grade PCM-63 20 bit Burr Brown DACs.

not the most detailed player, weak mid-bass resolution, chassis could be more solid.

The Adcom GCD-700 was alright, but a bit unsophisticated in sound and a bit hard on the ears. There was a high level of listener fatigue when listening with the Adcom that was no longer present with the RCD-991.

The Sony C333ES SACD player is a brilliant machine, but unfortunately a bit too brilliant (in sound) in redbook mode. The Sony's soundstage was slightly smaller but much more precise, with details emerging a bit more clearly than the RCD-991. The drawback is that the sound of the Sony is thin and lean compared to the Rotel. The clarity of piano and other instruments was fantastic with the Sony, however with the right interconnects (Kimber Select KS1020) the Rotel was almost its equal in clarity, and there is no comparison in micro and macro-dynamic resolution where the Rotel is a hands down winner. The low-low end is much much deeper with the Rotel, but annoyingly there is a lack of resolution in the midbass that is clearly present in the Sony.

The Sony does have many strengths, and I could live with either player, but the point of this review is that I am much happier and more satisfied listening to the Rotel. The Sony thrusts the sound out with better detail, but at the cost of sounding thin and MONOTONE. The Sony has much less musical finesse, and that is why the Rotel is a keeper. With the Rotel subtle transients and dynamics have more shading, instruments sound fuller, and there is a musical quality to the sound rather than an analytical quality.

Arguably, one could spend $400-700 to improve the sound of the Sony to perhaps beyond the Rotel by going with one of the many after-market mod packages (i.e. mods with blackgates, vishay's, superclock, detachable p/c, etc.), but guess what? The Rotel already has a power supply with multiple blackgates, a detachable p/c, and select vishays, etc., so it wouldn't be too probable that a modded Sony would be better than the stock RCD-991. So, it looks like the Sony will be called upon for listening to a few trivial SACD's, and the Rotel for the majority of listening on conventional CD.

Similar Products Used:

Adcom GCD-700, Sony C333-ES SACD

Sound Stage, Musical.

None

I have had the Rotel for almost a year. When I first started the quest to find my new player, which originated because the player I had was harsh, and I would constantly need to turn the volume down. I thought the budget would need to be about $2,500 to $3,000 Aus Dollars.
I like a roundness and musicality that will enable hours of listening without feeling the need to constantly turn down the volume.
I had auditioned many players, and had settled on the Musical Fidelity player, even though the look of the thing did nothing for me. It was priced at $2,600 Aus.
I then read the write up on the Rotel 991, and though I would give it a try.
My first impression before hearing it was that a $1,400 Aus player couldn't possibly compare with the MF.
I was wrong, the soundstage is superb, listening to it still amases me how the state is outside the speakers, wide and full.
I can listen to all music, and it brings out the best in all I play.
Obviously what you pair it with will make a difference, I use an integrated Valve amp and Focal speakers.
Buy it, you won't regret it!!

Similar Products Used:

Musical Fidelity, Rega, Arcam and more...

Detailed and neutral

Looks and cheap looking remote

I've found the Rotel to be an excellent player all round. It is not harsh not is it smooth. I've found it to be rather neutral in sound, but never slow and boring. Instead, it is a player which brings out the best in every music you try, from classical to jazz fusion to punk rock, the Rotel has the grace and ability to bring out every single detail and enthrall you without piercing your ear which means that listener's fatigue is reduced. Experimenting with the dither increases more upper frequency to the sound, reducing quantization. However, in doing that, it reduces the lower frequencies somewhat the higher the dither. I personally prefer the '0' setting, having a more natural sound. But it comes in really handy with low quality recordings or extremely slow pieces. After saying all that, this is one of the best cd players in this price category putting much more expensive players to shame.

Similar Products Used:

Arcam Alpha 9, Marantz CD17

Great sound, balanced outputs

Susceptibility to humidity, unergonomic controls

Love the sound of this unit, very smooth with controlled high end. It matches well with a Krell 300i integrated amp, which is generally a bit bright. Initially it sounded very congested in the high frequencies, and the unit took a good 5 weeks to settle down - I was on the verge of taking it back many times. After persevering it sounds great - EXCEPT FOR ONE PROBLEM - it is extremely susceptible to high humidity. I have never had any problems with a range of CD & DVD players, but the Rotel is rendered unusable in my current location. The humidity makes it skip continuously.
One star is removed for this nagging problem.
:-(

Sound, Price, Stereo immaging.

little-none!

My system is currently set up with my weakest link, Nakamichi MB2, connected to a ML 380 pre amp, and a ML 333 amplifier. This set up is connected with Monster 990s from the player to the pre-amp while a pair of Balanced Silversonic cables connect the pre-amp to the Amp. The Amp is finally connected to a pair of Thiel 2 2s with Transparent Musicwave-super speaker cables. I am anxiously searching for a replacement/upgrade CD player with the understanding that a good sounding device will have to be purchaced along with an upgrade of interconnects. Due to the age of the Nakamichi CD player (1989- never had to repair it either), almost anything I bring home, for auditioning, sounds superior to this player. Last March I came close to buying a Goldmund 39DA Cdplayer at a bargain price of ~ $9,000+ $1,000 for the cables! I do admit that was the best sound I had ever heard through my system. As there are uncertainties with the direction the industry is going, I decided against spending such foolish money, and chose to wait for the dust to settle. Meanwhile, with the help from my wonderful dealer, I continue to audition a wide range of single boxed CD players. The Mark Levinson #39 player is an amazing machine. Dynamically speaking nothing comes even close! It is truly a dream CD player. I also auditioned Proceed CDP for a short while and was, surprisingly, not impressed by it. I now have learned that a poor choice of interconnects may have been the reason Proceed player did not sound very good in my set-up (see below). Finally, a few nights ago I brought a Rotel 991 player home to listen to. At first, I was rendered senseless at how good this machine sounded. Everything I had read about it was true! The sound stage was superb. The space between the musicians, the control of the lower end etc. It was all there! When I listened to Beethoven's piano sonati, I could feel the weight of the instrument sitting there in between the speakers. After a couple days of intense listening it occured to me that I may be comparing apples and oranges a little, because I was using a pair of Balanced Transparent Musiclink interconnects ($375) for the new toy, while my Nak was using regular Monster 990 RCA cables. So I changed the fancy Transparent cables with a pair of Monster 550s on the Rotel and listened. The sound qualities, between the two machines, became a lot more alike!! Rotel was still superior with the detail and sound stage, but it did not have the weightyness of the piano like before! In conclusion, I highly recommend the Rotel 991. I do invite the readers though, to definitly consider some decent balanced cabels with this player. In my system and to my ears, 991 with the proper connections was only slightly inferior to a stallion like the ML no.39 . Considering that the Rotel is $4500 cheaper, I say you can not go wrong with this product. I feel that in all fairness, I should hear the Proceed once again with Transparent cabels. I also compared Transparent and Tributary balanced cables. Transparent is definately superior with greater warmth and control. Balanced is still better than RCA in every set up!
Lastly, Wadia is coming out with a new generation of 830 CD player, called 831 in February. I may still listen to that one too before deciding.
PS- Kudos to folks at Audio Consultants stores around the Chicago land area. They are the best! While a wonderful source of knowledge, they never pressure you in buying something you don't need.

Similar Products Used:

Goldmund 39DA, ML no.39, Proceed CDP

Variable dither enables one to "voice" the sound of the cd player to your speakers. Beefy power supplies means this player does not sound congested during complex music passages. Very smooth, good bass. Image is wide, but not particularly deep.

Not the last word in definition.

Similar Burr Brown PCM 63 dac chip as the Krell 20. No longer state of the art, but smooth and coherent with decent bass.

HDCD is a big improvement over redbook cd. The Joni Mitchell HDCD of "Both Sides Now" on the Rotel sounds very close to the DVD-A version with the Technics A10. (By the way...the Technics A10 is a very good unit despite what Stereophile and Hi Fi Planet has told you).

Similar Products Used:

Rotel 971, NAD 520, Technics DVD-A10, Sony SCD 333ES, Pioneer 525, various DAC's with DIP

Mid-range

"Cloudy" and murky sound, fails to convey the essence of the music

l expected the Rotel 991AE to be significantly better than my previous CD player - an Arcam Alpha 5+. In some respects it is - information retreival is superior and more precise in timing. The Rotel possibly also presents the mid-range more tunefully than the Arcam. The Rotel, however, lacks warmth, presents music in one dimension and does not convey the "soul" of the music in an entertaining manner. Sadly, l'm getting rid of the Rotel.

Similar Products Used:

Arcam Alpha 5+

*Musical, very listenable with great midrange, dither control.

*Muddied bass/mid-bass.

I agree with many of the reviews here. this is a fine player that is slightly laid back from ie, adcom products and is a good value in its price range; very musical in relation to adcom products. I really wanted to keep the Rotel rcd-991, given the price I paid for it, but ended up returning it to the dealer. The bass was punchy or too punchy for my tastes and the midbass was much too undefined or muddied for my personal preferences. I was told to let the 991 burn in and after three weeks the player did indeed become sweeter but the bass never tightened up.

Similar Products Used:

Adcom gcd-600, gcd750.

the ROTEL 991 AE (mind the AE), a real high-end player

none

Normaly ROTEL is not what i have in mind. But what can i say about the ROTEL 991 AE (audiophile edition), mind the extension AE, this is a modyfied version (only sold in Germany i think)! It sounds much and mutch better then i ever expected!
It is open, it's clear, it has a real stage performance... good placement, depth and so on, realy natural, real voices (stop... before).
Compared to my reference players (see similar products) it's better than all used before, now, finaly i can enjoy music.
So, do mind the AE-extension and enjoy a real super-player at a modest price, performing like players and drives + DA-converter over 3000 USD or more.

You don't believe what you hear. I would say... finaly the german modification matches my taste.

Therefore i would like to give it two times a 5 star++

Similar Products Used:

Marantz CD17 mkii,- 67 OSE and CD 14, Teac drive+da (T1), PS-audio DA + Philips CDD 882 (CDM 1 drive) etc.