Rotel A11 Tribute & CD11 Tribute

[Wil]

Rotel don't appear to reveal 4 Ohms ratings, all I can quickly find was from German review, approximated to:
"What we already attested to the A12 in June 2017 also applies to the A11: It is a really well made integrated amplifier with solid AB power amplifier circuit, which with its just under 100 watts (at 4 ohms) has enough power to drive most loudspeakers around its price point."

Is there 4Ohm specs mentioned for A11 tribute amp ? Thanks.

 

[Wil]

David Price's review of Tribute set has been published:
"The best thing you can say about them is that you can put them on the end of a seriously capable pair of speakers and they'll just relax and make great music. There's absolutely no sense of you listening to something that's built down to a price.

⋮

Of course, these two bits of kit aren't miracle workers. They have limitations and failings like anything else, but their sins are those of omission; they don't introduce grain or hardness, and nor do they sit on dynamics particularly, or squash…"

 

[Wil]

matthewpiano, last weekend, before mentioning Kiso loudspeakers I searched for what have been said about them, and onsite you commented "I thought they were awful!"

I smiled imagining myself testing it with an A11 Tribute (but price prohibitive at more than £10,000!!!! ). Construction though is exemplary:

Have you driven LS50 Meta with your A11 Tribute?


And for readers considering entry-level new speakers, I recall KHF had recommended Wharfedale Diamond 12.2:

Whereas 12.1 got 5 Stars:

Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 review

Surprisingly sophisticated standmounters for their size and price

www.whathifi.com

 

[Wil]

Thinking about Ken, I remember this MusicLink Series that the enthusiast may well find at bargain prices:


Being simply a hint, you can investigate yourself what features each model offer—whether suitable to your…

 

[gasolin]

This may be a typo, but I wouldn’t expect a DAC *input* on a CD player, just a digital *output* to a DAC, if an external model was felt to be superior.

A yamaha CD-S300 has usd in so a usb key a phone or something could be used with the cd player

 

[gasolin]

matthewpiano

As the volume is adjusted there is an audible switching sound through the speakers with each step.

I don't have any problems with audible switching sounds

 

[gasolin]

Rotel don't appear to reveal 4 Ohms ratings, all I can quickly find was from German review, approximated to:
"What we already attested to the A12 in June 2017 also applies to the A11: It is a really well made integrated amplifier with solid AB power amplifier circuit, which with its just under 100 watts (at 4 ohms) has enough power to drive most loudspeakers around its price point."

 

[Wil]

gasolin, I trust you're having fun with your A11 Tribute.

Ken's daughter Miki posted, in a Instagram Story, the full 3 pages review on Dec 12th last year e.g.:

I held back on effectively highlighting a rival-print-magazine, so didn't mention it. Also, I wanted to have more time offline for myself…

Well, the textual power ratings are "2x75W/8ohm and 2x105W/4ohms… dynamic output of 113W, 194W, 187W and 78W (protected) into 8, 4, 2 and 1ohm loads"

View attachment 2172

You know, What Hi-Fi? Forums, I can't avoid thinking whether I do enough to highlight its own (staff) published content. Hence the reason I did this.

 

[gasolin]

Have whathifi reviewed the Rotal a11 and cd11 tribute ?

Put it against Marantz PM6007 and CD6007 ?

Put the Rotel A11 Tribute against the Rega Brio R ?

I like my amp but it has some flaws, you can't turn off the led and display completely, standby mode (turning off the amp) can only be done by the remote control or wait for the amp to turn off by itself after 20 min or 1 hour, if you use the power button you turn it completely off, not standby, which i think has a sliglty advantage in how long it takes for the amp to be at operating temps where it sounds best, also in standy mode you can use the remote to turn it on.

What i like most about the amp is when you turn up the volume to like 70-80, it keeps the balance where most amps would makes the sound different when raising the volume, not just make everything louder.

 

[Wil]

Indeed, other publications have reviewed A11 Tribute set, and direct shoot-out/comparisons are of interest—to be discussed. Plus…

In short, for me, if only it-is as easy (on my own conscience) as Les contes d'Hoffmann.

Have whathifi reviewed the Rotal a11 and cd11 tribute ?

Put it against Marantz PM6007 and CD6007 ?

Put the Rotel A11 Tribute against the Rega Brio R ?

I like my amp but it has some flaws, you can't turn off the led and display completely, standby mode (turning off the amp) can only be done by the remote control or wait for the amp to turn off by itself after 20 min or 1 hour, if you use the power button you turn it completely off, not standby, which i think has a sliglty advantage in how long it takes for the amp to be at operating temps where it sounds best, also in standy mode you can use the remote to turn it on.

What i like most about the amp is when you turn up the volume to like 70-80, it keeps the balance where most amps would make the sound different when raising the volume, not just make everything louder.

I'll share my situation, the amp I'm currently using was designed with no Remote-function (nor Standby, I tend to turn it on at least 30 minutes to warm up before I really start listening). I've put a sticker over the (bright red) LED of the player (usually, I disable its display too). Blue LED of amp I enjoy, but last week it stopped lighting. Photo from months ago:

 

[matthewpiano]

Have whathifi reviewed the Rotal a11 and cd11 tribute ?

Put it against Marantz PM6007 and CD6007 ?

Put the Rotel A11 Tribute against the Rega Brio R ?

I like my amp but it has some flaws, you can't turn off the led and display completely, standby mode (turning off the amp) can only be done by the remote control or wait for the amp to turn off by itself after 20 min or 1 hour, if you use the power button you turn it completely off, not standby, which i think has a sliglty advantage in how long it takes for the amp to be at operating temps where it sounds best, also in standy mode you can use the remote to turn it on.

What i like most about the amp is when you turn up the volume to like 70-80, it keeps the balance where most amps would makes the sound different when raising the volume, not just make everything louder.

What I can say is that the standby issue is exactly the same on the PM6007 - only accessible using the remote control.

I haven't seen the Rotels reviewed by WHF, but having owned all 3 amps you mention I feel there is very little to choose between them.

 

[gasolin]

Whathifi has rated the Marantz PM600. since 2014 as one of the best amps of the year , rega io,brio,elex r starting also in 2014 with elex r. elicit-r, mediocre reviews of rotel amps only getting best amp of the year in 2005 with the RA-03 and in 2012 with the RA-10

Marantz pm 6006/6007 has not enough power and digital input you pay for whether you need or not, rega brio r doesn't have tone controls (important for some),no digital inputs and alos just around 50 watt, rotel, no digital inputs, 75'ish watt in 8 ohm and it's doesn't change sound signature when playing loud.

Marantz wins only buy price and digital inputs if you need it, rotel buy most power and that is keeps it sound signature at high levels, for space the rega wins, one amp and one cdplayer taking no more space than a 1 full sized amp (rega io,brio r good alternative til cyrus amp)

 

[gasolin]

How do you turn off the display like in this video (it's not the A11 Tribute)

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlMC-opY2cU

 

[Wil]

Put the Rotel A11 Tribute against the Rega Brio R ?

I did read your Rega brio R vs Rotel A11 tribute Thread.

In honour of Ken's friendship with Malcolm Steward (who has passed away too), I'll reproduce MS's public-piece which is lost due to his Top Audio Gear site being discontinued:
Opinion: Severe Loudspeaker Alignment (February 20, 2014)
I have just had two troublesome loudspeakers in for review. Each of them, when installed in a normal fashion in my music room, exhibited a tonal balance – or, more accurately, a tonal imbalance – that suggested that they had been voiced for the American market. A UK loudspeaker designer once warned me off listening to a couple of models in a range he had designed telling me that I would not appreciate them because they had been “voiced for the Yanks”. Strangely, he subsequently wound up working for JBL, one of America’s most successful and prestigious loudspeaker brands.

That designer’s “Yank” voicing involved cranking the frequency extremes to give the loudspeaker bass that invited involuntary bowel movements in the listener and treble so strident that it could strip the enamel from one’s teeth. The balance was way too brash and lacked the sophistication I seek in a loudspeaker – and I have a forgiving nature where most loudspeakers are concerned, and I can even listen past the colorations of most horn designs.

Regardless, writing reviews for print magazines these days tends to be an exercise in finding the positive aspects of any product. The reason most publishers give for this is “if it is not worthy of our readers’ time, why are we bothering to write about it and squander pages on it?” My countering of that opinion could take up many pages and would only be of interest to similarly disgruntled wordsmiths so I will refrain from biting the hands that feed me – albeit only after a fashion. Times – and editorial policies – have changed dramatically since the days when I first edited Hi-Fi Review magazine.

Getting back on topic, the ‘normal’ set up for loudspeakers in my room involves placing the enclosures a couple of feet in front of the wall I face when listening and about the same distance from the side walls. I usually toe in the speakers so that their axis cross just in front of my seated listening position. I can not be bothered with acoustic room treatments beyond carpeting the floor and always having the curtains behind my listening seat drawn closed. I have no wish to have bass traps/absorbers in the room corners nor anything equally as unsightly anywhere else, thank you. Room treatments are for studios, where they are not concerned with enjoying the music. I have been in control rooms in studios such as Abbey Road, where the sound sucks donkeys through a straw. It might work for the likes of producer, Alan Parsons who played me his then latest album there, but it did nothing for me and, I believe, I told him so. If I remember accurately, this did not amuse him. Face it, studio engineers generally do not know a lot about getting the best from their equipment. I have seen tape decks running off extension leads purchased at the local B&Q, and B&W monitors being auditioned with their bass units still masked by the flight cases used to transport them because the tech was too lazy to pull the speaker completely out of the case because he thought that “it made no real difference to the sound.”

Begin by placing the loudspeakers in the ‘normal’ position then address boundary reinforcement considerations, remembering, of course, that both the wall behind the speaker and the one to its side exert an influence on its bass output. If there is too much low frequency information edge the speaker away from those walls, perhaps by as little as an inch at a time. When you are dealing with LF it is always best to have the speaker properly spiked into the floor, of course, even if it can make manoeuvring the enclosure tricky for you. Just be careful that you do not lower that spiked, weighty cabinet onto your feet.

Then it is time to tame that treble with toe-in. Twist the enclosures so that the tweeter axis crosses at a point in front of your face when seated. The dispersion characteristics should ensure that your ears are not starved of treble information. The treble should not, however, make your ears bleed because you should now be out of the ‘direct line of fire’ of both units and just be hearing their peripheral output. This amount of toe-in might look odd or severe to anyone who has not been to one of Ken Ishiwata’s demonstrations. I say this because Ken, a world-renowned listener – is an adherent of quite severe, dramatic-looking toe-in when he sets up loudspeakers. It often helps if you can sit and listen while a companion adjusts the loudspeaker positioning.

​

As well as ameliorating tonal fierceness issues with some loudspeakers the arrangement described can also help focus the stereo soundstage and deliver not only improved positioning of instruments but also better focus and more solid, secure images.

 

[Wil]

They've now given their review away, free, online.

View attachment 2172

 

[gasolin]

I have just tried my phone (samsung galaxy 10+) with bluetooth but can only get no sound or max volume

All the vay down no sound x1 max volume, going up on the phone doesn't change the volume, it's either no sound or max volume from the phone.

Is there a way to change it ? Source tidal and youtube

 

[DIB]

I have the A14 amp. When I play Spotify off my Huawei P20 Lite via Bluetooth I can adjust the volume via my phone if I wish though I never do, I use the A14 volume control instead.

 

[manicm]

I have the A14 amp. When I play Spotify off my Huawei P20 Lite via Bluetooth I can adjust the volume via my phone if I wish though I never do, I use the A14 volume control instead.

It doesn’t matter, because connecting through Bluetooth is a compromise anyway, if not necessarily bad sounding.

 

[DIB]

It doesn’t matter, because connecting through Bluetooth is a compromise anyway, if not necessarily bad sounding.

Very rarely use the BT function on my A14 though admittedly it's pretty good and stable, more than acceptable. If playing Spotify I use the Spotty app on my Squeezebox Touch instead.

 

[Wil]

I have just tried my phone (samsung galaxy 10+) with bluetooth but can only get no sound or max volume

All the vay down no sound x1 max volume, going up on the phone doesn't change the volume, it's either no sound or max volume from the phone.

Is there a way to change it ? Source tidal and youtube

Back when starting this Thread, I downloaded their 11 base models' User Manuals…

 

[Wil]

I've just checked whether the function "Repeat A-B" is possible for the CD11 Tribute. No:


Pity, I'm currently using a lot of A-B Repeating on my SA7001KI player (from 2006).

Incidentally, SA KI-Ruby also doesn't have a "Repeat A-B" function.

 

[nopiano]

Pity, I'm currently using a lot of A-B Repeating on my SA7001KI player (from 2006).

Incidentally, SA KI-Ruby also doesn't have a "Repeat A-B" function.

It sounds familiar, but can you remind me what A B repeat does?

 

[Gray]

can you remind me what A B repeat does?

As a track plays, pressing the button once marks the in (A) point.
Pressing it again marks the out (B) point and immediately starts the AB loop playing..
One more press clears and resumes normal play.

So it's a shorter (or longer?), adjustable version of track repeat.
(Probably only shorter as I don't think the B point can be set beyond the playing track??).

 

[Wil]

You know, KI always said “music is about emotions.” Repeat A-B allows me to repeatedly experience what matters most within-a-track, usually (some verse/chorus of) the vocals. Thus, I now tend to (save time and) cut out instrumental intros and outros (especially Pop music's synths).

It can be liken to when avidly re-watching a film at home, skipping particularly the opening and closing credits.

Well, for me, Repeat A-B has become a valuable (perhaps deciding) feature when buying.

I don't think the B point can be set beyond the playing track??

Repeat A-B can be from within-one-track to within-a-subsequent-track. Applicable readers can try.

 

[Gray]

Repeat A-B allows me to repeatedly experience what matters most within-a-track

Me too Wil.
For me they're predominantly instrumental segments. It's amazing how just a few seconds can make a track exceptional.