Rotel RCD-02

audiobliss
audiobliss Posts: 12,518
edited April 2006 in Electronics
:D

Yep, that means it finally got here!

For those of you not in the know, Sean (Zero) hooked me up with a dealer, and I got pretty good deal on a Rotel RCD-02. I had never seen one before, and I had never seen a piece of Rotel gear in black, so I was a little lost on what to expect when it got here, but boy, I could have expected nothing less than perfection...'cause I think that's what I got!! :D:D

When I took it out of the box, I was immediately shocked by how heavy it is. This thing is solid! It weighs 11.9 pounds, according to Rotel's website. It 'oozes' quality. And it looks superb in black. The finish on the case is smooth, shiny black, though not polished like on my Yamaha receiver. The front faceplate is a rough finish, and is also metal. It took me a while to determine the cover over the display is, in fact, plastic instead of glass. The display is also very awesome! It's large, clear, ultra-legible, and just plain looks great!

And then the remote is very logically laid out, taking almost no thought to learn and use.

I haven't had much time to listen to it, so I'll refrain from discussing its sound. However, I should be able to let her rip tomorrow for a bit. :D
George Grand wrote: »
Jstas wrote: »
Simple question. If you had a cool million bucks, what would you do with it?
Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
In Use
PS3, Yamaha CDR-HD1300, Plex, Amazon Fire TV Gen 2
Pioneer Elite VSX-52, Parasound HCA-1000A
Klipsch RF-82ii, RC-62ii, RS-42ii, RW-10d
Epson 8700UB
In Storage
[Home Audio]
Rotel RCD-02, Yamaha KX-W900U, Sony ST-S500ES, Denon DP-7F
Pro-Ject Phono Box MKII, Parasound P/HP-850, ASL Wave 20 monoblocks
Klipsch RF-35, RB-51ii
[Car Audio]
Pioneer Premier DEH-P860MP, Memphis 16-MCA3004, Boston Acoustic RC520
Post edited by audiobliss on
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  • audiobliss
    audiobliss Posts: 12,518
    edited April 2006
    As is typical with my transactions, I took plenty of pics of the unpacking for those who wish to experience the process of opening new gear. For me, it has certainly been a rare occurence, so I like to help others experience whenever I can. :D


    1. Here's a pic of the box as it arrived via UPS. A nice, plain, yet distinctive Rotel box. There were only two marks on the box, so, overal, I was pretty pleased.
    2. Here's on of the marks. certainly not too bad.
    3. Here's the other. Worried me more than the other, but still nothing major.
    4. Having cut the tape and lifted the flaps, you can see the........styrofoam.
    5. Ahh, now you can see the contents of the box. Everything is wrapped up in plastic, just like new!
    6. There it is, all laid out on my bed.
    7. And there's everything all laid out on my bed unwrapped.
    8. There's the remote I mentioned. (As if I think you actually read what I said ;):p)
    9. Here's a pic of the front of the CDP before I hooked it up. You can see the faceplate has a matte finish.
    10. There it is stacked on top of my Yamaha receiver. Considering the CDP isn't as deep as the recevier, and the Yammy has vents on the side, I don't think heat will be a problem.
    11. There's a pic of my equipment. Yeah, all spread out on the top of my desk. Certainly not as nice as a rack, but oh well.
    12. And there's another angle. Man, that's a handsome CDP! :D
    George Grand wrote: »
    Jstas wrote: »
    Simple question. If you had a cool million bucks, what would you do with it?
    Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
    In Use
    PS3, Yamaha CDR-HD1300, Plex, Amazon Fire TV Gen 2
    Pioneer Elite VSX-52, Parasound HCA-1000A
    Klipsch RF-82ii, RC-62ii, RS-42ii, RW-10d
    Epson 8700UB
    In Storage
    [Home Audio]
    Rotel RCD-02, Yamaha KX-W900U, Sony ST-S500ES, Denon DP-7F
    Pro-Ject Phono Box MKII, Parasound P/HP-850, ASL Wave 20 monoblocks
    Klipsch RF-35, RB-51ii
    [Car Audio]
    Pioneer Premier DEH-P860MP, Memphis 16-MCA3004, Boston Acoustic RC520
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  • I-SIG
    I-SIG Posts: 2,243
    edited April 2006
    blah blah blah. How does the **** sound! :D

    Wes

    grammar
    Link: http://polkarmy.com/forums

    Sony 75" Bravia 4K | Polk Audio SDA-SRS's (w/RDO's & Vampire Posts) + SVS PC+ 25-31 | AudioQuest Granite (mids) + BWA Silver (highs) | Cary Audio CAD-200 | Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR's | Rotel Michi P5 | Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR's | Cambridge Audio azur 840C--Wadia 170i + iPod jammed w/ lossless audio--Oppo 970 | Pure|AV PF31d
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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,513
    edited April 2006
    I-SIG wrote:
    blah blah blah. How does the **** sound! :D

    Wes

    ROFL

    I like the black.
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
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  • crazy
    crazy Posts: 443
    edited April 2006
    Black looks amazing! Please do let us know how it sounds.
    Distant Dream - A New Beginning
    www.distantdream.com
    (Now also available on iTunes)
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited April 2006
    I-SIG wrote:
    blah blah blah. How does the **** sound! :D

    Wes

    grammar



    I read that this morning and I'm still laughing--that's effing great,, :D:D
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • EricT43
    EricT43 Posts: 130
    edited April 2006
    Can we get some more shots of the packaging? ;)
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited April 2006
    I'm surpised he didn't take a picture of himself with the UPS delivery man.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • Musophile
    Musophile Posts: 89
    edited April 2006
    Give him a chance to listen to at least one cd. :p
    Home Theater In Progress

    Samsung 4272
    Denon 3910 Universal Player
    Anthem AVM-20
    Anthem Statement A5
    Fronts LSI-25
    Center LSI-C
    Surround LSI-FX
    Getting closer to complete!:D
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited April 2006
    dorokusai wrote:
    I'm surpised he didn't take a picture of himself with the UPS delivery man.

    Yea, I was hoping to see that one too... :D
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,217
    edited April 2006
    What........no pics of the bottom of the unit or the isolation feet :eek: :D . Is this one of those audio "props" they use in home furniture stores or does it actually play? I haven't heard you discuss what it sounds like that's why I'm wondering :p .

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • audiobliss
    audiobliss Posts: 12,518
    edited April 2006
    I did a pretty good amount of listening today, but I had a friend over, so I wasn't able to be too citical. I put in my new almost-favorite CD Casting Crowns - Lifesong to give it a spin. Using my yammy as a pre, I had it up to about -10, and it was waaaaay too bright! With the singer singin' all his S's, the sibilance really was horrible. I'm going to attribute that to the CD, volume level, and SS pre. Hopefully a tube pre would smooth that out a bit, though most of it might be in the recording.

    I also ran through some Bruce Hornsby, Chris Isaak, Frankie Valli, Eric Clapton, Jack Johnsons, etc. and was quite pleased with what I heard. I really can't find any faults with this unit.

    And the build quality and finish never cease to amaze me. It's heavy and solid! And it looks phenomenal!

    I'm just tickled pink!

    :D:D`
    George Grand wrote: »
    Jstas wrote: »
    Simple question. If you had a cool million bucks, what would you do with it?
    Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
    In Use
    PS3, Yamaha CDR-HD1300, Plex, Amazon Fire TV Gen 2
    Pioneer Elite VSX-52, Parasound HCA-1000A
    Klipsch RF-82ii, RC-62ii, RS-42ii, RW-10d
    Epson 8700UB
    In Storage
    [Home Audio]
    Rotel RCD-02, Yamaha KX-W900U, Sony ST-S500ES, Denon DP-7F
    Pro-Ject Phono Box MKII, Parasound P/HP-850, ASL Wave 20 monoblocks
    Klipsch RF-35, RB-51ii
    [Car Audio]
    Pioneer Premier DEH-P860MP, Memphis 16-MCA3004, Boston Acoustic RC520
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  • audiobliss
    audiobliss Posts: 12,518
    edited April 2006
    Well, I did about 15 minutes worth of listening today after burrying Casey. I couldn't really get motivated to do anything else.

    I put in some James Taylor. As best as I could tell, there was more of an impact with the music. I compared the Rotel to my portable CDP with the same song, and while I could hear the same details with both, the Rotel overall seemed to be more forceful, cleaner, and clearer, and also at times a bit brighter.

    I'm still hoping a tube preamp will help with that brightness.
    George Grand wrote: »
    Jstas wrote: »
    Simple question. If you had a cool million bucks, what would you do with it?
    Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
    In Use
    PS3, Yamaha CDR-HD1300, Plex, Amazon Fire TV Gen 2
    Pioneer Elite VSX-52, Parasound HCA-1000A
    Klipsch RF-82ii, RC-62ii, RS-42ii, RW-10d
    Epson 8700UB
    In Storage
    [Home Audio]
    Rotel RCD-02, Yamaha KX-W900U, Sony ST-S500ES, Denon DP-7F
    Pro-Ject Phono Box MKII, Parasound P/HP-850, ASL Wave 20 monoblocks
    Klipsch RF-35, RB-51ii
    [Car Audio]
    Pioneer Premier DEH-P860MP, Memphis 16-MCA3004, Boston Acoustic RC520
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,217
    edited April 2006
    I am afraid as you move up in source quality the source material starts to show it's flaws. A new pre may or may not solve your problem. You may start to find some source material hard to listen to now. It's a function of moving up the audio ladder; a double edged sword of sorts. However well recorded stuff should sound mucho better.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • audiobliss
    audiobliss Posts: 12,518
    edited April 2006
    I'm using the analog outs on the Rotel, as there's no doubt in my mind its DACs are much superior to the ones in my Yammy. However, I'm also using the cheap IC that was included with the CDP. Cables are on my list after I bring home a tube preamp.

    heiney9
    I hadn't thought about that, but you bring up a valid point. I honestly would have thought a greatest hits CD of James Taylor would be rocorded better than that, but maybe not. Anyhoo, I'll be listening to bunch of my CDs in the next couple of days. Maybe I'll pick out a trend for what sounds harsh and what doesn't.
    George Grand wrote: »
    Jstas wrote: »
    Simple question. If you had a cool million bucks, what would you do with it?
    Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
    In Use
    PS3, Yamaha CDR-HD1300, Plex, Amazon Fire TV Gen 2
    Pioneer Elite VSX-52, Parasound HCA-1000A
    Klipsch RF-82ii, RC-62ii, RS-42ii, RW-10d
    Epson 8700UB
    In Storage
    [Home Audio]
    Rotel RCD-02, Yamaha KX-W900U, Sony ST-S500ES, Denon DP-7F
    Pro-Ject Phono Box MKII, Parasound P/HP-850, ASL Wave 20 monoblocks
    Klipsch RF-35, RB-51ii
    [Car Audio]
    Pioneer Premier DEH-P860MP, Memphis 16-MCA3004, Boston Acoustic RC520
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  • audiobliss
    audiobliss Posts: 12,518
    edited April 2006
    Thanks for the tip, anonymouse. I always play music with my Yammy set on 'Straight', so that's not interfering.

    This thing just looks so great with the black finish, and then those beautiful blue/purple lights. I just had to take some more pics. Unfortunately, the pictures don't even come close to doing it justice.
    George Grand wrote: »
    Jstas wrote: »
    Simple question. If you had a cool million bucks, what would you do with it?
    Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
    In Use
    PS3, Yamaha CDR-HD1300, Plex, Amazon Fire TV Gen 2
    Pioneer Elite VSX-52, Parasound HCA-1000A
    Klipsch RF-82ii, RC-62ii, RS-42ii, RW-10d
    Epson 8700UB
    In Storage
    [Home Audio]
    Rotel RCD-02, Yamaha KX-W900U, Sony ST-S500ES, Denon DP-7F
    Pro-Ject Phono Box MKII, Parasound P/HP-850, ASL Wave 20 monoblocks
    Klipsch RF-35, RB-51ii
    [Car Audio]
    Pioneer Premier DEH-P860MP, Memphis 16-MCA3004, Boston Acoustic RC520
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  • janmike
    janmike Posts: 6,146
    edited April 2006
    That looks great especially in black. Congrats.
    I changed from fibre to analog from the CDP to the Yammy and it was night and day.
    Michael ;)
    In the beginning, all knowledge was new!
    NORTH of 60°
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  • organ
    organ Posts: 4,969
    edited April 2006
    Awesome cdp. Keep us posted as the unit breaks in. I'm looking forward to reading your review.

    I doubt this "brightness" you're taking about is coming from the cdp. Yes, it will have better high frequency extension but I don't think it would lead to brightness. I bet it's the pre section on the Yammi. Using my H/K receiver as a pre also made everything too bright. A dedicated pre should sound warmer/more laid back with better resolution and powerful sound.

    Maybe you can try tube rolling on the ASL by using a warmer brand of tubes. This should put a band aid on your brightness until you get the ELP.

    Here's a cool Wave 8 page you might find interesting. http://www.geocities.com/asl_wave8/index.html
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