Rotel RA-1572 Integrated Amplifier

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by George P, Jun 13, 2018.

  1. SpeedMorris

    SpeedMorris Forum Resident

    Location:
    Iowa
  2. wwaldmanfan

    wwaldmanfan Born In The 50's

    Location:
    NJ
    That's a steal at this price. I bought a new "open box" Parasound headphone amp from Sight & Sound at a comparable discount, and have been very happy with it.
    I also bought a factory-refurbished NAD M51 DAC from another audio dealer at 25% off list price, and that worked out as well. The refurb units are the same as new, except one year less on the factory warranty.
     
    SpeedMorris likes this.
  3. captwillard

    captwillard Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nashville
    Rotel stuff is nice. Personally, I would buy a Rotel integrated over a NAD one. I just think Rotel is better built and sounds better. Its hard to say what you will hear different sonically vs your Yamaha. I imagine yo will get a little bit more resolution and imaging. It Rotel will match very well with Rotel. As far as low volume listening, I prefer high current solid state amplifiers. They seem to take control of speakers at low volumes. The other option for low volume listening is to find a integrated that has a loudness control.
     
  4. keiron99

    keiron99 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockport, UK
    For low level listening on the Rotel you can adjust the tone controls (perish the thought!) as a sort of makeshift loudness control (bring them back, I say!) Simply press the tone bypass switch on the remote to put it in or out of circuit.
     
    Chazzy likes this.
  5. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Thanks for the offer. Unfortunately, that unit is too deep to fit on the shelf I use for my stereo. I'm in a small studio apartment.
     
  6. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Thanks. The integrated I have now has a variable loudness control.
     
  7. Fedot L

    Fedot L Forum Resident

    What’s the “particularity” of “B&W” speakers, please?
     
  8. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    They like gobs of power reserves.
     
  9. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Many thanks for the help, you guys! I decided to give the Yamaha A-S801 a try, since I could get one close to where I live and try it out with no risk for 30 days. So far it's going very well and only cost me $899.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 16, 2018
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  10. RockAddict

    RockAddict Sanity is an illusion, just like democracy

    Location:
    UK
    I've bumped this thread having just purchased a Rotel RA-1572 (yesterday, Fri 5th), replacing a Cambridge CXA60. Some thoughts and observations which may or may not be helpful to others looking at integrated amps...

    It's early hours but, to my ears, the RA-1572 is helping to produce some rather lovely sounds. I have it hooked up, bi-wired, to a pair of relatively lowly Q Acoustics Concept 20s (they punch way above their weight). So far, it's dealt with light classical, Pink Floyd, Marillion and Jean Michel Jarre with ease. I just don't understand What Hi-Fi's finding(s) that the RA-1572 has issues with timing and dynamics. It's certainly not in-your-face but, to my ears, there's no laziness in keeping up with intricate and/or busy passages. During the demo, I threw in some Metallica specifically to see how the RA-1572 dealt with quick / hard music. No problem at all. I listen(ed) to music from both analogue and digital sources.

    The soundstage is nice and wide plus it has decent height & depth. Detail is definitely there with plenty of separation but with the music still sounding very much "as one". Some might prefer a slightly brighter, edgier sound but I think the RA-1572 is far from dull. IMO, it's definitely worth giving this a listen when demoing other amps, if for no other reason than for contrast.

    I did consider the RA-1592 but it was beyond my budget and, based on what I could find on the web, the one major difference is the power (200w) with no deal-breaker differences in sound characteristics. When demoing the RA-1572, I also listened to a Rotel A14, Nad C 388 and Nad C 368 (links at the end of this post). Both Nads were fairly rich in sound with the C 388 sounding just a fraction "fuller". The Nads had very good mids and upper frequencies but, for me, the bottom end was a bit on the woolly side and lacked detail that was definitely present with the RA-1572. The A14 was "OK" but I found it a touch on the toppy side, with the overall sound being thinner (relatively) and it didn't dig as deeply into the bottom end as the RA-1572. With the A14 at GBP £999, it's hard to see value in that price when the RA-1572 is "only" GBP £1,395. Obviously, if the preference is for the A14's slightly thinner sound, then the price consideration is moot. Personally, I wouldn't have purchased the A14 or either of the NADs, even if the prices had been massively discounted. To my ears, the RA-1572 had that bit of extra "pull" and, in summary, simply sounded more accurate than the other amps demoed.

    For what it's worth, I didn't get hung up on the class of amplification. In fact, I took a novel approach: listened to the music, not the hi-fi... :confused: :faint: :crazy: :) :goodie:

    Happy listening all. Links below for ease of reference if anyone is curious enough:

    A14
    RA-1572
    RA-1592

    C 368 - NAD Electronics
    C 388 - NAD Electronics
     
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2018
  11. Art K

    Art K Retired but not tired!

    Location:
    Corvallis, Oregon
    Nice post.
     
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  12. cdash99

    cdash99 Senior Member

    Location:
    Mass
    Resurrecting this old thread to ask any Rotel experts (or pseudo experts :D) about whether any significant differences exist between the 1572 and 1570 that preceded it. Additionally, if anyone has compared either unit to the Yamaha 801 I'm interested in what you learned.

    Since everyone's ears are different, I'm asking about functionality as much as anything else.

    Associated equipment (none of which is up for replacement) to be connected includes a Bluesound Node 2 (analog vs digital connection), Oppo 103 (analog vs digital connection), and a Pro-Ject Debut III running through their Speed Box that was available at the time. For speakers I'm running KEF LS50.
     
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  13. RockAddict

    RockAddict Sanity is an illusion, just like democracy

    Location:
    UK
    It's not a direct reply to your question but, in case it's of interest, some updated info following my post of 6 Oct 2018.

    I'm now in the process of looking for a new amp to replace the RA-1572 (meandering story in a different thread: Amp(s): Parasound / PS Audio / NAD ). Insofar as is relevant, I've copied the text from the "amp" thread which explains why I'm looking for For the most part, the RA-1572 sounds, well, really good. It has a great 3D soundstage with real depth and drums / percussion hit home with real authority and there is plenty of "air" in the audio picture. Contrary to the rather strange review in "What (do we know about) Hi Fi", I also found the timing to be perfectly decent. However...

    "For the most part, the RA-1572 sounds, well, really good. It has a great 3D soundstage with real depth and drums / percussion hit home with real authority and there is plenty of "air" in the audio picture. Contrary to the rather strange review in "What (do we know about) Hi Fi", I also found the timing to be perfectly decent. However...

    There are two main issues that no amount of tinkering with the tone controls will overcome such that retaining the Rotel would be within reach. Firstly, upper-mid range piano strikes sound as if they are coming from under a cover of 2 or 3 blankets and I haven't been able to find a way of changing that without completely messing up the rest of the soundscape. Secondly, when listening to busy rock music, especially with metallic / jangling guitars and the likes of the heavier passages of material by Metallica or Evanescence, the guitars take on a distinctly emphasised metallic edge which seems pulled to the centre of the stage whilst, at the same time, squeezing out the bottom end to almost nothing. I can't recall these issues being within any other set up I've experienced. I've even A/B'd the Rotel with my previous amp (I still have a Cambridge Audio CXA60) and whilst the latter lacks the same level of depth and authority compared to the Rotel, piano sounds definitely sound more "natural" and there isn't the same condensing / squeezing when playing the same heavy rock material via the Rotel. Just today, to check yet again, I played a song ("Dark Star" by Fish from the album 13th Star) and this perfectly illustrated the second issue. Same results with sections of "Enter Sandman" by Metallica but, to show it isn't the mastering of a whole CD at fault, I also played "Nothing Else Matters" which sounded really good. Contrast those with, say all of "Wish You Were Here" (album - 2011 remaster) by Pink Floyd, and you'd never guess there were issues with other material. WYWH sounds great on the RA-1572 - including the guitars on "Welcome To The Machine".

    For completeness, I have played around with speaker positions to no avail, albeit within the limitations of available space.

    For most types of music, the RA-1572 will sound rather lovely. But, it just doesn't like "busy" "jangly" heavy rock and there is just enough of that in my music collection to prompt me to look at alternatives.
    "

    As can be seen from the "amp" thread, the budget is roughly 2.5x compared to the RA-1572 but that's mainly because I'm at a point in life where I really want something that is a long term keeper and have found myself in a once-in-a-lifetime position to get something at that level. If you're ok with fully integrated amps other than Rotel, you could try the NAD C368 or C 388. At the time of the demos, I preferred the RA-1572's overall sound signature but this post shows how that didn't quite turn out as well as I'd hoped... :shake: :)

    Happy hunting.
     
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  14. DrZhivago

    DrZhivago Hedonist

    Location:
    Brisbane Australia
    Rotel and B&W are affiliated. I'm not sure, but I think they are owned by the same group. Both Rotel and B&W speakers (600 and 700 series) are made in the same factory in China, and B&W speakers made there are probably voiced using the Rotel amps.

    Regards
     
  15. cdash99

    cdash99 Senior Member

    Location:
    Mass
    Thank you for the info. Musically, I don’t listen to much Metallica, but do listen to a fair amount of busy jangly rock/pop such as Alice Cooper, Tom Petty, Big Star etc., as well as larger ensembles such as Southside Johnny etc. What is your experience with music of this sort? Do your observations apply to all denser arrangements, or just those that are more heavy metal in nature?
     
    RockAddict likes this.
  16. Guildx500

    Guildx500 Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    They have the same distributor in the US for sure.
     
  17. RockAddict

    RockAddict Sanity is an illusion, just like democracy

    Location:
    UK
    Apologies for the delay in responding - I decided to do some more listening to offer the most accurate answer.

    I don't have any material by the artists you mention but there was one song I eventually found that beautifully demonstrated the whole issue in microcosm: Gary Moore's "Just Can't Let You Go" (originally released on the "Scars" collaboration). It has some lovely liquid melodic sections and a couple of "denser" and "harder rock" sections. In the softer sections, the music is just lovely to listen to, well balanced across the frequencies, great sound stage and no "squeezing" to the centre from either width or height. In the harder/denser sections (2:10 to 2:57 & 4:13 to 5:47 ), it's as if a puppeteer has used a rubber band to pull much of the width into the centre and to pull the height upwards with the bottom end disappearing as the height is raised. It's like having an amp with schizophrenia :) . By contrast, Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side Of The Moon" (2003 SACD stereo layer) doesn't have the sustained sections of density or busyness and so no issue with the sound stage or bottom end being squeezed.

    The Gary Moore song is on YouTube - "Blues & Beyond" remastered version:


    As an aside, in case it's of interest, the NuPrime STA-9 power amp has been added to my list of possibles (potentially doubled up as monoblocks). Amps by Nord Acoustics are also being investigated.

    Whatever you decide, happy listening.
     
  18. cdash99

    cdash99 Senior Member

    Location:
    Mass
    Thank you for the reply. I haven't swapped out my existing unit yet (Carver 2000 receiver), but noticed much the same thing. Curious if what you're seeing is a function of the mix rather than the mastering. I'd also think that speaker selection has some effect (I'm running the KEF LS50 passives). To do an apples-to-apples test, take a listen of the following track (Southside Johnny) when you have a moment and let me know what you think. I'll post the Alice Cooper track separately.

     
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  19. cdash99

    cdash99 Senior Member

    Location:
    Mass
    Here is the Alice Cooper Track

     
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  20. RockAddict

    RockAddict Sanity is an illusion, just like democracy

    Location:
    UK
    An interesting challenge :). Southside Johnny's "All I Needed Was You": I sourced a FLAC file for this and first listened to it on my laptop to get an idea of how the bottom end worked in relation to the rest of the music. Then I played it on my main system, using the same equipment through which I've made my other observations. For the most part, there was no notable squeezing. Arguably, and I put it no more than that, there is a slight squeezing at 0:50 to 0:59 (and at similar changes during the rest of the song) when the music becomes a bit denser but nothing compared to the Gary Moore song.

    Alice Cooper's "Under My Wheels" was a bit tougher, mainly because of the recording era but also the bass tonality was different. However, there was a definite squeeze at 1:02 to 1:15. I listened to the YT feed from the link above and, on the laptop, I recognised the bass did become less prominent even on my laptop but it was still there. But, when the same source was played through the Rotel, the squeeze on width became really noticeable and the bass all but disappeared, akin to a mixing error.

    As for the points quite reasonably raised about mastering, mixing and speakers, I'd have looked more closely at that had it not been for the A/B with my previous amp, the Cambridge CXA60 (which I still have) as well as having a second system and my laptop. Taking all that into account and also not being completely unfamiliar with the inside of a studio, I'm pretty confident that my ears are, unfortunately, correctly hearing the issues observed with the Rotel RA-1572 rather than it being a case of merely acclimatising to a new / different sound signature. If I only liked smooth jazz, light pop, Pink Floyd and nothing faster or heavier, the Rotel would be staying firmly put. Sadly, that isn't to be.

    My suggestion would be to give the RA-1572 a demo (if possible) and take plenty of music with a range of different characteristics so you can hear for yourself. Hopefully, you'll find something that really works for you, whether or not the RA-1572.
     
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  21. cdash99

    cdash99 Senior Member

    Location:
    Mass
    Thanks for the observations, especially since I’m a layperson that has no studio knowledge. I’m actually looking at the prior model, the 1570 that I have the opportunity to acquire. My understanding is that the upgrades for the 1572 involve a slightly upgraded DAC and Bluetooth aptX, neither of which are significant to me. The 1570 handles up to 24/192 while the 1572 goes up to 384. Unless I borrow my dog’s ears I’m not going to notice the difference.

    I’ll ultimately be comparing the Rotel to the Yamaha 801. Even though the idea of the Rotel is intriguing the connectivity options in the Yamaha might be better suited to my needs, especially with my use of a CD recorder.
     
  22. Davieh

    Davieh Member

    Location:
    Ottawa

    How did the as-801 fare? I have one and want to update my speakers to b&w s703’s until amp funds increase.
     
  23. cdash99

    cdash99 Senior Member

    Location:
    Mass
    I ended up sticking with the Rotel, and didn’t look at the Yamaha. I’m happy with the sound and found a workaround on the connectivity.
     
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  24. Chazzy

    Chazzy Active Member

    Location:
    Portland
    BASS AND TREBLE CONTROLS
    I have the RA-1572 now powering Golden Ear Triton 1.R’s. Many others have commented on bass and treble controls. To me, it was a factor in selecting this amp. Too many recordings need a tweak on the sonics, and the Rotel allows this. Not only on the console but also on the remote. My only minor complaint is that the remote is not backlit. I’ve researched other amps that have B/T controls on the console and the remote and I’ve not found it. Essential for me, maybe for others not an issue. For quality, price and functionality Rotel has my vote. I probably would have gone with the 1592 for the additional power, but I’m totally satisfied with the 1572.
     
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  25. luckybaer

    luckybaer Thinks The Devil actually beat Johnny

    Location:
    Missouri
    If I needed an integrated amp, I’d jump on that model or the big brother.

    I’ve got an RB-1582 MkII (stand-alone amp), and it rocks. It drives my Dynaudio Evoke 10 beautifully at 70dB or at 85dB (I don’t go louder, because I hate bleeding ears). It breathed life into my Polk Audio RT25i speakers. I think it lets me hear my system with little to no coloration. I can try out new cables, swap components, etc. just to see how the sound changes. I find it indispensable.

    Rotel makes solid, blue-collar gear. If you can grab one of their beefy integrateds, go for it. I ALMOST picked one up on an open box special, but I decided on separates for my secondary system. If my wife ever wanted her own system in the living room, I wouldn’t hesitate to put Rotel on my short list for integrated amps.
     
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