Rotel RCD965BX

[matthewpiano]

As a result of my exasperation with transport noise on my NAD C545BEE (which was infuriating as much because I love the sound quality), I decided to try my Rotel RCD965BX this morning, expecting it to sound so inferior that I would switch back to the NAD and put up with the ticking sounds. Much to my surprise, the Rotel is better and really seems to get the best out of my amp and speakers. I'd forgotten what a good CD player it is and, as a bonus, the transport is much quieter and also quite a bit quicker. Result!

 

[Anonymous]

Goos news! How old is the Rotel? My CA340C is quiet and fairly quick and it's a really exciting little player! Have the Roth speakers opened up much since you bought them? Hows the bass?

 

[matthewpiano]

I bought it from Steve's Hi-Fi about 6 months ago, fully checked and serviced, but I reckon it must be 20 years old.

The Roths have certainly bedded-in over the first 10 hours or so. They are fantastic. As for the bass I find there to be plenty but it is well controlled and never becomes boomy or bloated. They are superb for all types of music, including piano music, which is quite some achievement for speakers at their price point.

 

[jockey.wilson]

I bought my RCD 965BX circa 1992. Great CD player. I traded it in for a Pioneer stable platter CD player that was a definite sideways step...

I ran the Rotel with a Cyrus 2 amp and some KEF K140 speakers. I really think that this system would compare VERY well with most sub 1000 pound systems today. Loved it.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

The RCD965 is an excellent cd player and one that i believe is overall the finest player Rotel has produced to date.

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[plastic penguin]

matthewpiano:As a result of my exasperation with transport noise on my NAD C545BEE (which was infuriating as much because I love the sound quality), I decided to try my Rotel RCD965BX this morning, expecting it to sound so inferior that I would switch back to the NAD and put up with the ticking sounds. Much to my surprise, the Rotel is better and really seems to get the best out of my amp and speakers. I'd forgotten what a good CD player it is and, as a bonus, the transport is much quieter and also quite a bit quicker. Result!

I've always said on this forum that my old RCD 975 is as good sounding as my CD73T. The only reason why I changed was because the draw mechanism became faulty.

 

[dave_k]

Does the Rotel have a nice quiet mechanism then? I'm thinking of getting one.

 

[matthewpiano]

Yes. Even listening to solo piano music I can't hear any mechanical noise from my normal listening position. It is a very good player indeed - very musical and involving. In my system and for my tastes I much prefer it to the NAD, excellent though that player is.

 

[dave_k]

Thanks Matthew

I'm definitely considering one of these so I can stop having to use my blu-ray player, which actually has quite a noisy mechanism as well...

 

[plastic penguin]

dave_k:

Thanks Matthew

I'm definitely considering one of these so I can stop having to use my blu-ray player, which actually has quite a noisy mechanism as well...

...also consider RCD 975 - it originally retailed at £500 between 1995-2000.

 

[dave_k]

Will do...

 

[idc]

Will you keep the NAD for when you get bored with the Rotel? Maybe your overall soution is to keep your old speakers and other stuff so you swap to your hearts content.

 

[bretty]

MUSICRAFT:

The RCD965 is an excellent cd player and one that i believe is overall the finest player Rotel has produced to date.

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

Apart from the '991

 

[bretty]

MUSICRAFT:
The RCD965 is an excellent cd player and one that i believe is overall the finest player Rotel has produced to date.

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

Apart from the '991

EDIT: Gotta love those double posts! Not being able to delete one of them? Even better!

 

[Sizzers]

With all the variations you've been through, just how many seperate systems could you put together with what you've got in store? lol

 

[matthewpiano]

Sizzers:With all the variations you've been through, just how many seperate systems could you put together with what you've got in store? lol

Not many now. You see most of the changes have had to be funded through selling existing pieces. I could put 1 other very good system together.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

bretty:MUSICRAFT:

The RCD965 is an excellent cd player and one that i believe is overall the finest player Rotel has produced to date.

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

Apart from the '991

Hi bretty

The RCD991 is very good and is certainly a Rotel cd player i would have rather have over their existing models. However i still believe the RCD965BX is the finest overall cd player which Rotel have produced to date. I still clearly remember the first time i heard the RCD965BX at the Heathrow show twenty years ago playing through Jeff Rowland amplification and Infinity speakers. In fact that system is one the finest i have ever heard.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[the record spot]

Blimey, you haven't changed again Matt?!

Just out of interest, what's the cause of your desire to change so often? Is it a niggling "this could be a lot better on something else" kind of thing, or is it more down to the limitations of each item that gets changed thanks to your level of expectation?

 

[matthewpiano]

the record spot:Blimey, you haven't changed again Matt?!

Just out of interest, what's the cause of your desire to change so often? Is it a niggling "this could be a lot better on something else" kind of thing, or is it more down to the limitations of each item that gets changed thanks to your level of expectation?

On this occasion RS it was simply to lose the ticking noise emitted by the transport on the NAD player. I've still got the NAD, and the Rotel is one I picked up from Steve's Hi-Fi 6 months ago, so no major issues this time.

To be honest I was very happy with the sound of the NAD CD but the transport noise was just too much. The Rotel solves that problem and, as an added bonus, sounds better as well.

 

[Anonymous]

Dave - can I bump this one on two fronts.#

I don't seem to be able to get stereo out of my Sony BD 35 into my amp via rca , only mono - am I doing something wrong ?

Granted I need to improve my CD transport so will be looking to get a dedicated CD

which brings me to the real point of this thread

How much do I need to pay to get a half decent cd - I believe that with the CD its advisable to buy new not used or ex dem , But how much beyond 200 quid would I need to spend to get a reasonable sound .

BTW I am amping through an Astintrew pre/power

thanks

 

[Anonymous]

i always thought that cd players would only get better the newer thay
where as the technology improved in decodeing and cd transport.

 

[matthewpiano]

Not quite as simple as that aversaurus. For a start off those early transports were actually far better built and designed than most modern ones and were designed specifically for audio use. Many modern players use adapted CD-Rom or DVD drives.

 

[dave_k]

Hi Magnum, mine's the bdps-360 and i if i remember i set it to output stereo somewhere in one of the setup menus. I've not thought about it since as it works just fine everytime I load a CD. Even when i had it hooked up to the TV with HDMI it was still sending stereo audio from the RCA outs into my amp.

As for spend, well i'm not sure, being quite a newbie here. I think new has the advantage of warranty plus no pre-existing wear and tear on the mechanism, but I'm hoping to pick something quite good up s/h for £50 to £70 or so and just take a chance with it. Otherwise I'd expect something like the CA 340 cd player would out perform the bdp, but again I don't know by how much.

 

[Anonymous]

i take your point on the transport .but what about the cd decodeing ?.

 

[matthewpiano]

Well if you do a search of the internet you'll find lots of discussion about the Philips bitstream chips like the one used in the Rotel. There are plenty of people out there who prefer them to more modern upsampling DAC chips.