Rotel’s MKII devices have been a go-to pick for many audio enthusiasts. And, to celebrate the 60th anniversary, Rotel upgraded one integrated amp and two CD players. In simpler words, the manufacturer decided to expand the MKII lineup by adding a good dash of nostalgia. But are the refreshes really worth it? Let’s dig a bit deep.
To start with, all of the three refreshes come with the 32-bit DAC from Texas Instruments. This DAC is present in all of the existing MKII offerings. But that is not all that the refresh is about! All of these refreshes benefit from the power supply refinements. And that was pretty outdated for the old models.
Also, the brand has refreshed the circuit board layout and integrated proper isolating techniques. Combined with new coupling capacitors, the new refreshes promise to reduce the distortion and lower the noise floor.
Additionally, Rotel promises to provide a stellar audio performance with much-improved depth and wider soundstages. The new A12MKII even has a new digital interface chipset and digital processor.
Rotel has also put a good amount of effort and has perfected the power amplifier by making 12 changes on the A12MKII. Even though it does not sound as impressive as the 25 tweaks of the higher-end A14MKII, the changes claim to maximize the overall performance and offer the user a new and more refined listening experience.
That said, the A12MKII is not the only refresh that got into the lineup. There is also the CD14, another nostalgic CD player from Rotel. It now meets the level of performance of the other MKII CD players. All the new drive mechanisms, tuned critical acoustic components, DAC, and CD controller chipsets are present in CD14MKII.
It seems like the RCD-1572 also got a good amount of MKII love and tuning in the refresh. Apart from the new DAC, it sports a fully differential XLR and balanced output. Both will do a proper job of lowering the overall RF interference and rejecting most external noise.
When it comes to connections, the RCD-1572MKII and CD14MKII feature single coaxial digital outputs and RCA outputs. So, what does that mean? It means that both of them can operate as CD transports while supporting off-board digital-to-analog processing.
So, it is pretty clear that the new refreshes are indeed valuable additions to the MKII lineup. And considering the fact that they add a good portion of nostalgia to the table, they would be a decent pick for audio enthusiasts that want to enjoy all of the benefits that the latest and greatest audio techs Rotel has to offer.
Slava is a man of mystery and no-one seems to know exactly where he is at any point in time. When he isn't enjoying writing about all things audio and technical he can be found researching his next project of interest. The man never rests.