Say 'Rotel' to any hi-fi enthusiast and the definition that results in S usually centres around a no-nonsense, engineering-led theme. A brief look at the RA-1592MKII, the largest integrated amp in the range, doesn't necessarily do much to change these perceptions. As the name suggests, it is an overhaul of the preceding RA-1592 (HFC 459) and is the largest amp in its standard range.
Revision or not, the spec of this update is extremely comprehensive, even judged at the price. Like a great many integrated hitting the market, this is most of the way to being an all-in-one system. In conventional analogue terms, it has a single XLR input supported by three RCAs and a moving-magnet phono stage. These are complemented by pre-outs both for connecting a power amplifier (of which Rotel still makes a healthy selection) and subwoofers.
The analogue connections are supported by a digital board, which gives you three optical, three coaxial and a USB-B input supported by Bluetooth with aptX and AAC support. This digital board is relatively unusual in that it uses a Texas Instruments DAC for decoding rather than an ESS or AKM one. The sample rate handling is fairly comprehensive with PCM up to 384kHz supported by the USB input, but there is no native DSD handling, which may or may not be important to you. It is MQA compatible, however.
Even without network connectivity or an HDMI ARC connection (some similarly priced rivals have both), the Rotel is well specified. These connections are made available via a rotary encoder-equipped preamp to a power amp section that is one of the most powerful options available at this sort of price point. Using a Class A/B design, Rotel claims 200W into 8ohm, which rises to 350W into 4 which should be enough to drive pretty much any speaker. In keeping with all Rotel designs, a significant proportion of the internals have been designed and manufactured in-house.
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