Rotel Tribute A11 Amp & CD11 - Ken Ishiwata's final products

Before he passed away, Ken Ishiwata worked briefly with Rotel, following on the work he did for many years with Marantz.

The results of those labours were recently released in the shape of the Rotel Tribute A11 Amp and CD11 CD player.

I didn't see anything on here mentioning them, and I know Ken and his work were much respected here. Details below:-

A11 Tribute


CD11 Tribute

 

They both look good ....it will be great to hear thoughts and views on them once some have purchased them as i always put more store in enthusiasts here than any "reviewers" in magazines

 

I've a few reviewers I rate, especially if they're steeped in the real world (Andrew Everard being one) or mags that measure gear (Hi Fi World, Stereophile, etc) and allies their review in with those.

 

Does anyone know what the capacitance is for the phono input on the A11? I can’t find it in the specs. Also curious for any thoughts on the quality of the phono stage on this unit.

 

I've been listening to an A11 Tribute with a Pro-Ject X2 turntable and Audio-Technica 750SH cartridge for a couple months, mostly through Sennheiser 580 headphones. I think the A11's phono stage is incredibly good, which I wasn't expecting at its price point. By comparison my other system is a Rogue Sphinx 2 with MoFi Ultradeck and Ortofon Black - the Rogue's phono stage pales in comparison to the Rotel so separate phono amp definitely needed (I've got a Vincent Pho-8).