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udio Emporium NewsletterComing In
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Rotel
RC-1082 Stereo Preamp $1200
About
a year and a half ago Rotel discontinued its top preamp, RC-1090. It was an excellent unit
but they said they had a new, improved unit right around the corner. Well, perhaps around
the block or the city might have been more accurate. When you let engineers (bless ‘em)
diddle around with a design and don’t give them a time limit- they’re never
done. The preamp that was supposed to be just around the corner is on the water and due to
land here in early April.
It’s
a big deal. RC-1082 prototypes are making the rounds and they’re awesome! Rotel’s
history is that we can expect production even better than the prototypes.
RC-1082
is a stereo preamp with phono (MM&MC) built in, with remote. It’s available in
black or silver. It weighs 17 lbs. This is no toy! It has a mini headphone jack & mini
input for your IPOD on the front. It has tone controls with a defeat switch. It has a
balance control.
TAS: “The sound breaks new ground in that it
combines traditional Rotel sonic virtues with a broader performance envelope that
introduces heightened levels of three-dimensionality, a vibrant touch of almost tube-like
harmonic richness, and powerful subterranean bass. The resulting presentation is as clear
if not clearer than anything I’ve heard from Rotel in the past, yet adds a soulful,
dramatic quality that makes music appealing not just on a cerebral but also on a visceral
level.”
Just In!
Rotel RB-1091 ICE Power Amp $1500ea.
500 watt MONOBLOCKS!
Last month we received the Rotel RB-1072 stereo ICE
amp, $900, 100 w/ch. It has outstanding clarity and control. At anywhere near a grand,
this amp is about as good as it gets!
Rotel has two larger ICE brothers. RB-1092 is Rotel’s
500 w/ch STEREO amp for $2500. We’ve had it for a year. It’s been a terrific
sounding amp and a bulletproof workhorse.
But new, hot off the presses, is the RB-1091 MONO BLOCK,
500 watt amp for $1500. There is no speaker out there that won’t benefit from a
stronger, cleaner amp. Whether your application is home theater or serious music, RB-1091
will light up your speakers in a very lively fashion. To give your speakers wonderful
clarity and full dynamic capability, consider RB-1091! Center channel?!
Stop in to hear it with our top B&Ws and Paradigms. We
know you’ll be blown away, as we are!
Consider how much it would cost to get 500w mono blocks
from the other top names in our field. You START at $7k!
While we’re talking ICE, don’t forget Rotel’s
already legendary theater amp, RMB-1077. At $2500 it has 100 watts times SEVEN.
Considering that almost everybody running home theater has a sub… with your speakers
seeing this great amp from about 80Hz on up- it’s enough power for the vast majority
of us. But if you need something stronger, RB-1092 and RB-1091 are affordable
alternatives.
Class D
Class D is a name for an amp topology with a switching
power supply. Class D doesn’t stand for Digital. D runs cooler than traditional A or
AB designs because it is so efficient. Not all Class D designs are the same. Rotel takes
issue with the traditional Class D technology.
Rotel Class
D
Rotel doesn’t use the standard PWM circuit. Rotel has
a COM/MECC block at the front end. COM/MECC avoids the limitations of the traditional, RF
generating PWM Class D designs.
Rotel uses unique ICE amplifier modules. Please don’t
confuse Rotel’s ICE amps with other class D amps from brand XYZ!
COM:
Controlled Oscillation Modulation
COM renders standard PWM wave generation obsolete.
It has a self oscillating signal to generate the carrier. Unlike standard PWM, COM is well
isolated from any power supply variability.
MECC:
Multivariable Enhanced Cascade Control
MECC offers two loops of control, one for voltage and one
for current. Modulation errors are corrected with MECC.
A Great CD!
Two classic, orchestral favorites are Moussorgski’s Pictures At An Exhibition and Tchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony. Even if you already have them, we have a wonderful new CD with both works. The playing is electric, the sound is crisp. It’s $14.20 well spent! Stop in for details