Audio manufacturer Rotel has approximately sixty years of experience building amplifiers and sources. An amplifier is usually the heart and central control center of an audio set, regardless of the price. Rotel pays a lot of attention to the power of its amplifiers, regardless of the price. In our test room is the A 20 Tribute, an affordable integrated Class AB amplifier with analog inputs and bluetooth connectivity. The A 20 Tribute will be joined by Rotel’s CD player CD 11 Tribute. Both devices have been modified according to the insights of the legendary Ken Ishiwata. How many functions and music enjoyment do these affordable components from Rotel provide? Â
Rotel A 11 and CD 11: the entry-level Rotel
The Japanese audio company Rotel has been around for about sixty years. Amplifiers have always been at the heart of the company’s portfolio. Initially these were stereo amplifiers, but later multi-channel amplifiers were added. About a year ago, Rotel released a set of flagship amplifiers called P5 and M8 under the Michi sub-brand (also read our review on the Rotel Michi P5 and M8). The P5 and M8 perform very well, but they are big, heavy and not very cheap (NB: the M8 is a mono power amp, so two of them are needed).
The Michi product line is thus at the top of the Rotel portfolio. Until recently, at the bottom of the portfolio was the integrated amplifier A 10. One step higher we found the A 20, but this has also been phased out and is now succeeded by the A 11 Tribute, our test sample and now the slip-on from Rotel. It is of course nice to know that large and heavy flagships perform well, but not everyone has the space and budget for flagships. The A 11 (Tribute) is liftable and affordable and also promises the necessary music enjoyment.
Each manufacturer has its own spearheads when it comes to choices in the construction of hi-fi devices. One of Rotel’s spearheads is the linear power supply across the amplifiers portfolio. Rotel makes its own toroidal transformers and carries out strict checks on the components of the toroidal transformers. For example, the copper wire and the iron core made by suppliers must meet Rotelâ € ™ s high standards. Also the basis of the nutrition of the A 11 (Tribute) is a toroidal transformer made by Rotel (even ex-entry-level A 10 was foreseen of a toroidal transformer). Toroidal transformers are relatively expensive components and switching power supplies are much cheaper to build, but Rotel swears by linear power supplies with a toroidal transformer at the heart.
Rotel also builds CD players. The CD11 was the Japanese company’s cheapest model and has now been succeeded by the CD 11 Tribute. Despite the rise of streaming and network players, CD players still have a right to exist. After all, pressed CDs are â ???? if treated neatly â ???? practically indestructible and there are hundreds of millions of CDs in the world. Both the A 11 as the CD 11 are cost effective but deliver uncompromising quality, says Rotel. This also applies to the Tribute versions and more on that now.
Rotel A 11 Tribute and CD 11 Tribute: Modified by Ken Ishiwata
The Original A 11 and CD 11 are in February 2019 announced on the ISE. Rotel launched a Tribute version of both devices about a year and a half later. The A 11 Tribute and CD 20 Tribute have been modified by none other than Ken Ishiwata, the famous top engineer who was 2019 has swapped the temporary with the eternal.
Ishiwata-san has been widely admired in the hi-fi industry for its unique ability to identify perfect products for modification and take their performance to a new level, often with only a modest price increase. That was exactly the goal of Ishiwata, who, together with the Rotel technical team, make an initial assessment for the new specification of the A 11 and CD 11 offered. From there, preliminary prototypes were produced before final specifications were approved by Rotel. Unfortunately, Ishiwata passed away in November 2019 after the modifications of the first prototypes were approved. It was then Karl-Heinz Fink’s job to implement the original vision.
the A 11 Tribute and the CD 11 Tribute of Rotel born.
Rotel A 11 Tribute: integrated amplifier with analog inputs and bluetooth
De Rotel A 11 Tribute has a sleek and more or less classic shape. The dimensions are 430 x 93 x 345 millimeter (W x H x D). The volume rocker is on the far right and the power button is mounted on the far left of the front panel. Source selector buttons are located below the central display. Rotel has not applied any decorative elements. The appearance of the A 11 Tribute exudes a certain tranquility.
The A 11 Tribute comes with a fully functional RR-AX type IR remote control 1401, which is made of plastic. The remote control is comfortable to hold. The volume control can be found by touch.
The user can control more than the front panel would suggest. The A 11 (Tribute) features tone and balance controls. The power-on volume can also be set and it is even possible to set the volume separately for each input. The user can select the A 11 with the function â ???? Off Timerâ ???? switch off automatically after a certain time of inactivity, which you can choose yourself. The A 11 can also be used in Signal Sense. mode can be set to turn on / off automatically according to whether music signal is supplied to one of the inputs. This also allows the A 11 in a cabinet and switch it on / off with, for example, a television. All these functions can be controlled by diving into the menu with the buttons to the right of the display. The illumination of the display and the brightness of the indicator lights can also be controlled. If desired, a repeater for the IR remote control can be connected so that the A 11 can be placed behind a cupboard door. Although the A 20 does not get really hot during normal use, but sufficient ventilation space should be considered.
The user has access to four analog cinch line inputs with a sensitivity of 192 mVolt and an impedance of 47 kOhm. Then there is also a turntable input for mm elements with a sensitivity of 2.3 mVolt, which also has an impedance of 47 has kOhm. The A 11 (Tribute) does not have digital inputs but it does have Bluetooth connectivity (with aptX and AAC support). The digital signal is handled by a Texas Instruments 28-bit/192 kHz DAC. The A 20 is also equipped with a preamplifier output so that a power amplifier or subwoofer could be connected.
The user can connect two pairs of speakers and turn each pair on or off individually using the buttons on the front. The speaker outputs are relay controlled and can also be turned on / off with the IR remote control. A 3.5 millimeter jack plug headphone connection is placed on the front. Plugging in headphones does not automatically turn off power to the speakers. The user must do this himself with the buttons on the front or on the supplied IR remote control.
Rotel A 20 Tribute: Differences from the Non-Tribute Version
The Tribute version can and does exactly the same as its regular brother, who has since been retired. There is no other user guide for the Tribute version. Rotelâ ???? s A 11 Tribute does not differ from the â ???? ordinaryâ ???? with its appearance and functions. A11, except the Tribute version has a badge affixed to the right of the display. The badge reads â ???? Tributeâ ???? and next to it stands a Japanese character that stands for as much as â ???? respectâ ????. So there is hardly any difference between the devices on the outside. The differences are on the inside.
In the amp stage of the A 11 Tribute, all ten capacitors as well as two resistors in the signal path have been changed. In addition, half a dozen capacitors have been replaced in the preamplifier. These changes affect more than fifty percent of the components in the signal path. Furthermore, all six capacitors in the volume phase were also replaced by better ones. Finally, custom cushioning materials were added to the A’s housing 11 Tribute to further isolate and dampen any vibrations in the device.
Rotel A 11 Tribute: Technical Specifications The A 11 (Tribute) works in class AB. Rotel specifies a maximum power of 85 Watts per channel at eight ohms over a bandwidth of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The distortion remains below 0, 005 per cent.
The frequency range of the A 11 (Tribute) is 20 Hz to 20 kHz (Â ± 0.5 dB) on the phono input. The line inputs have a frequency range of 11 Hz to 100 kHz (Â ± 0.5 dB) The S / N ratio is as stated by the manufacturer 85 dB on the phono input and 100 dB on the line inputs. The damping factor has a decent value of 180. These are all decent numbers for a device in this price range.
The A 11 (Tribute) and the supplied IR remote control make an understated and solid impression. We’re going to release the CD 11 View Tribute.
Rotel CD 20 Tribute: CD player with analog and digital output
The CD11 is a CD player that, with its looks and performance, is right up there with the A 11 suits. Just like the front plate of the A 11 is the front plate of the CD 11 an example of tranquility, simplicity and modesty. The basic control buttons on the front are of course sufficient for basic operation, but the included plastic IR remote control (type RR-D 20201106120222 ) offers even more functions, such as compiling and playing a selection of tracks from the inserted CD.
Rotel’s CD 11 (Tribute) owns also about the company’s balanced design topology of digital and analog circuits. Rotel’s Balanced Design Concept should not be confused with a balanced design that is expressed through the placement of XLR connectors. Rotel’s Balanced Design Concept is Rotel’s designation of a choice of better components in circuit locations that can positively affect sound quality. The A 11 and CD 11 (Tribute) have no XLR connections.
The CD tray and CD drive 11 are placed in the center of the faceplate. Above this is the display, to the right the elementary control buttons. The CD11 is equipped with an analog cinch output. Furthermore, a Rotel has installed a digital cinch output so that an external DA converter can be used if necessary. The incoming and outgoing movement of the CD tray makes little noise and the drive cannot be heard at the listening position. The DAC chip is from the American Texas Instruments.
Rotel specifies a frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, a common value for CD players. The distortion is 0, 005 percent (at 1 kHz). The specified channel separation is greater than 115 dB (at 10 kHz) and the A-weighted S / N ratio is greater than 125 dB. Basically, distortion and noise are at a negligible level.
Rotel CD11 Tribute: difference from the non-Tribute version The appearance, functionality and also the manual of the CD 11 Rotel’s Tribute is no different from the regular version of the CD 11 (which has since been phased out), except for the Tribute plaque to the right of the central display. The changes are under the hood.
The Tribute version of the CD 11 contains eight capacitor changes compared to the original CD 11 from Rotel and one resistance change in the DAC stage which, incidentally, is also a Texas Instruments 24-bit/192 kHz DA converter. All nine capacitors of the power supply have been swapped with improved ones. Internal vibration damping was also addressed with modified damping material added to the top of the case. At the same time, further changes were made to the mechanical and electrical grounding of the CD player.
A11 Tribute and the CD 20 Connect the tribute in the test environment and then we will do what it’s all about: sit in a relaxed setting and play music listen.
