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Integrated Amps: An Addicts Guide.


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  • 2 months later...

I retrieved this from Andy's care yesterday.

IMG_0843.thumb.JPG.66cc07ccee836c8ea5a5095af69128d2.JPG

Obtained via a gear swap with @Gremrock a few months ago.  It had some transistor issues on one channel and a slight balance problem but it is now all fixed and ready to rock.  One Rotel RA-1412.  Love the dual mono power supplies and the massive filtering caps.  Rotel really went all out on this one.

 

My fondness for toggle switches has me cracking a big, broad smile with this integrated.:)  Nothing says vintage gear like half a dozen toggle switches on the front of a component.

I'm not really a fan of the side mounting of all the inputs and the speaker connectors (and the speaker connectors will only take bare wire, no fancy, smancy cables back in the mid 70's) but I can't argue with the 110wpc.  It's sounding pretty "sweetly vintage" right now.

 

Edit:  And here's an info link for the curious of mind.

http://www.thevintageknob.org/rotel-RA-1412.html

Edited by Cafad
more info.
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  • 2 weeks later...

The curly bear wants to know if you got a summary rating sheet for all your reviews.  I cant be expected to read all 19 pages of your amps guides and series 1 and 2 as well!

 

I'm finally thinking of upgrading the Zu's so it looks like i'll be needing some more power.

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Hey Damo.  I don't have a summary sheet as such, just a slowly growing pile of loose pages of notes.  I could probably put something together in excel but that would really be distilling down the reviews to just a series of numbers.  I might give it a go but I can't say I'm that enthused about the idea, without the comments and description the raw numbers themselves only tell part of the story of an amps performance.

 

What are you looking at trading up to Damo?  And how much power are you wanting?

Edited by Cafad
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I've read most of them before but i cant remember what the outcomes were for all of them.

 

The plan is to move in a pmc 25.26's - from all reports they need at least 100 per side or some serious tubes watts. tubes at that level are usually out of the budget.

 

I'm thinking one of the higher spec sansui's could do the job as it sounds like they need a slight warmish ampo.

 

A tube pre with some like a parrasound a21 is also under consideration.

Move into a zu cube with the current sansui or tube amp for the second system.

 

I'll get in touch when i actually have the speakers.

 

I will read the sansui reviews and get onto the sansui guru for an opinion as well.

 

Must be time for a QLD GTG - Ive not been stalking those pages recently but the x-mas cheer is upon me already!

 

Shout out to all the qld GTG crew.

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2 hours ago, DAMO 1147 said:

I've read most of them before but i cant remember what the outcomes were for all of them.

 

The plan is to move in a pmc 25.26's - from all reports they need at least 100 per side or some serious tubes watts. tubes at that level are usually out of the budget.

 

I'm thinking one of the higher spec sansui's could do the job as it sounds like they need a slight warmish ampo.

 

A tube pre with some like a parrasound a21 is also under consideration.

Move into a zu cube with the current sansui or tube amp for the second system.

 

I'll get in touch when i actually have the speakers.

 

I will read the sansui reviews and get onto the sansui guru for an opinion as well.

 

Must be time for a QLD GTG - Ive not been stalking those pages recently but the x-mas cheer is upon me already!

 

Shout out to all the qld GTG crew.

Damo's new speaker GTG? 

Sounds like a good reason to me.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I finished with the Rotel over a week ago but I just haven't been interested in doing much typing lately so it's taken me this long to get to the write up.  Work has gone and got me cranky so that didn't help much either.  Anyway, here it is, one Rotel RA-1412 write up.  Cue the copy and paste noise.

 

It is with considerable mixed feelings that I type this review of the Rotel RA-1412.  As readers work their way through this review I would like them to keep in mind that while I will say some things that sound “bad” that does not mean that I dislike the amp in question.  I do like it, quite a lot in fact, but that does not change the fact that I hear what I hear.  I will also likely make some comparisons and assumptions, those are mine and are based solely on my opinions, obviously yours may differ.

 

I make mention a few times to a “lack of fidelity” which I take to mean a lack of detail/micro-detail/high enough resolution to keep everything together.  I’m not exactly sure what causes this, it could be the fact that the RA-1412 was designed prior to the existence of digital media and this resolution was considered sufficient for vinyl and cassette tapes or it could be that some of the capacitors or resistors within it have values that have wandered just enough to cause such an effect in its 42 years of life on this blue/green audiophilic globe of ours. 

 

As per usual I was using my YBA Heritage cd100 as a source (DAC duties were partially outsourced to my new GroB DAC but mostly for the purpose of running in).  Cables were Aurealis Dragon interconnects and generic 14 AWG stranded speaker wire (which was the thickest wire I could force through the speaker posts).  Speakers were my trusty Lenehan S2R stand mounts.

 

Gain.  The Rotel has a truckload of it.  So much that I made the decision to move ahead with the minus 10db toggle “on” so I had some measure of reasonable control over the volume.  Without the muting on the difference between too quiet and too loud was just too small to be practical.

 

OK, on to the sound.

 

Highs:

Lovely tonality but a lack of overall detail can mess things up a bit in orchestral listening, also hard rock listening, probably any music that has many instruments playing at once.  Never hard or bright but a touch unfocussed on triangle.  Brass is a joy to listen to, not hard or bright but very, very “brassy”.  If you don’t look for the minutiae then it sounds very nice.

Enjoyment score would be an 8.25, detail score would be a 7.0.

 

Mids:

Just a bit on the bright side and sometimes a touch hard, sounds great on slower styles but loses significant focus on fast music with multiple instruments active at once.  Acoustic strings have a nice addictive air to them.  Really nice in the mids, almost reminds me of a slightly unfocussed version of the Rega Elex-R actually. 

I’ll give it an 8.0 but that can drop as low as a 7.0 on more convoluted tracks.

 

Bass:

Full, large and satisfying. Yes, a large and dynamic bottom end but not overpowering.  Not so punchy, more a great big rolling and clashing creature that stays in its soundstage cage.  It can’t get out so it can’t punch you in the chest.  8.25

 

Vocals: 

Loses some focus with hard sung vocals (both Male and Female) but with softer vocals it can really impress.  Slow 7.75, hard, 6.5.

 

Soundstage:  

Big, wide and deep, it feels natural even though it is a bit broad and loose in the placement of instruments within it.  Size and entertainment score 8.0, details score 6.75.

 

Overall Performance.

Large, full and lightly warm in the bass, carries a big presence that is dynamic and musical in the macro if not so great at the micro. 

 

Ability to Emote:

8.25 on orchestral music, slower styles and faster styles where there is rarely more than one instrument playing at once.  7.0 if you’re chasing detail in audiophile recorded tracks.

 

Electric Guitar Test:

8.25, all good here.  Even with two guitars going hell for leather there is no problem at all.

 

80’s Rock Test:

8.25   No lack of focus or detail here, but then that isn’t really the point of most of the rock that came out of the 80s.

 

Overall a very enjoyable amp, but noticeably a product of its time.  Since it isn’t an amp with a warm mid range then that lack of detail is readily noticeable.  However if you needed an amp for some big speakers in a garage or shed sized area then this would do you proud.  Particularly if the speakers were of a similar vintage.

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 09/12/2018 at 8:32 PM, Cafad said:

 

I make mention a few times to a “lack of fidelity” which I take to mean a lack of detail/micro-detail/high enough resolution to keep everything together.  I’m not exactly sure what causes this, it could be the fact that the RA-1412 was designed prior to the existence of digital media and this resolution was considered sufficient for vinyl and cassette tapes or it could be that some of the capacitors or resistors within it have values that have wandered just enough to cause such an effect in its 42 years of life on this blue/green audiophilic globe of ours. 

I have owned one of these beaut Rotels for over a decade now after spending quite a considerable amount on a full restoration which took the best part of 2 years....( and 2 different techs I might add..)..

I agree with most of your assessment however the detail or fidelity on the one I have is first rate..whether Analogue or digital and as you mention some of the caps etc may have wondered over the years...All mine were replaced so much so that when the volume pot is turned up to full or 0db there is negligible hiss from the tweeter even when you place your ear right next to said tweeter... 

Therer's a "Whollop" to the bass thats most satisfying with the right material too...all in all mines a keeper....

 

IMG_6970.thumb.jpg.033b3fffeed10a8a999593f97caa43ed.jpg 

IMG_6971.thumb.jpg.b80cb5b7ab83c5ab9c60d5d8f34a35ec.jpg

 

Using an Esoteric XO3se as main source atm biamped with a Rotel RA1312 into some home made speakers....

 

 

On 09/12/2018 at 8:32 PM, Cafad said:

some big speakers in a garage or shed sized area then this would do you proud.  Particularly if the speakers were of a similar vintage.

Oh Yes!!..some Vintage AlNiCo JBL 15" drivers sound great with mine...

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On 06/01/2019 at 8:59 PM, Cafad said:

Yeah.  VU meters are awesome, as are toggles but combine the two and you've got some serious retro good looks.  Handsome fellow isn't he?

 

Hey Cafad, have you listened to the Audia Flight FL Three S? Any impressions you can impart?

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  • 3 weeks later...

It looks like it's time to get back in to the groove again.  I took some time off over Christmas but as it's almost February now I really need to get down to business.

 

Next up the ATC SIA2-150 (really rolls off the tongue doesn't it?).  An integrated amplifier that seems to be universally adored by those who've heard it and universally desired by those who have not.  

 

Let's start with a little audio porn.

IMG_0948.thumb.JPG.ff6851fd6dfdbf1a7134f342e09c3528.JPG

 

Quite a looker isn't it?  And the internals are just as sexy.

IMG_0945.thumb.JPG.ea87800f0dfbbfb75471d8f3e001b0ca.JPG

 

See what I mean.

There are a few design features here that just have to be mentioned.  Note the little torroid, that means we have a separate power supply for the pre section, always a good thing.  That steel plate in the middle of the PCB seems to be shielding for the low level signal section from the mains input wiring, very sensible.  And we have the large caps mounted on the power amp boards which means they are very close to the transistors which require their power.  We also have fault finding LEDs, very practical and possibly cool too. (must remember to turn it on later tonight and see if it has enough of them to glow from the inside, for no real reason except that I think I would like it more if it did)

The only think I don't like about the innards is the make of those big caps, I have not heard good things about Jamicons.  Everything else about this amp has me impressed from the get go.

 

I have yet to get serious with the listening tests but my initial impressions are of an amp with a solid kick to it, an impressively detailed and yet very listenable mid range and a very nice sound stage with excellent 3D imaging.

It does run hot, it seems to have about 20wpc in class A so that makes sense, and it uses philips remote control codes so I don't have to use the ATC remote if I don't want to.  My Myryad, YBA and Consonance remotes are also usable.

 

So, onward into the first quarter of 2019 we go.

 

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On 05/08/2018 at 2:18 PM, Cafad said:

I've been working on a review of the exposure 3010S2 for a few weeks now but a series of either colds or flu like viruses have slowed me down quite a lot.  I think I've finally given them all the flick as I'm feeling pretty good this morning so I've managed to complete my write up.  (the GTG at Mikes yesterday may also have increased my audio excitement levels just a wee bit)

 

I was contacted by Andrew at Audiofix back in June, he asked me if I would like to review some of the gear that he imports.  I was a little cautious at first as he wasn't a SNA sponsor and I wasn't sure how that might sit with the powers that be.

Love your work but I'm uncertain why you wouldn't feel comfortable reviewing any amp sponsored or not?

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2 hours ago, PKay said:

Love your work but I'm uncertain why you wouldn't feel comfortable reviewing any amp sponsored or not?

The SNA rules can make things a little complicated in some regards.  Non-sponsors who use the forums to effectively advertise their products are frowned upon, those associated with helping them do so are also frowned upon. 

Matters such as these can get complicated and I'm a fan of keeping things simple.

 

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22 minutes ago, Cafad said:

The SNA rules can make things a little complicated in some regards.  Non-sponsors who use the forums to effectively advertise their products are frowned upon, those associated with helping them do so are also frowned upon. 

Matters such as these can get complicated and I'm a fan of keeping things simple.

 

So if I sent you my Lavardin IT that might be okay. The only problem is that I can’t be without it. 

 

At least you don’t have the same issue with your Sansui amps. 

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49 minutes ago, PKay said:

So if I sent you my Lavardin IT that might be okay. The only problem is that I can’t be without it. 

 

At least you don’t have the same issue with your Sansui amps. 

Yep, that would be fine (desirable even!) as neither of us stand to gain anything from it, we're just two audio freaks talking about an amp and discussing its merits and/or flaws, it's only if there is a vested financial interest involved that things get iffy.

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  • 4 weeks later...


  • 2 weeks later...

Speaking of Exposure 2010 amps @wen, I've got Andrew from Audiofix sending me an Exposure 2010S2D next week (Terry and I are going to include it in our next GTG, because the 2010 is a great amp and no one on the planet seems to be talking about it anymore, which is a shame as most people don't seem to have heard it).  If you are still interested in me doing a comparison between the older and newer 2010 models then now is the time.

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