Pump Up The Volume
Sydney Morning Herald
Monday May 21, 2001
TRUE audiophiles have a motto: no speaker too large, no amplifier too powerful. Not surprisingly, most true audiophiles are male and single.
Rotel isn't in the loudspeaker business, which is probably lucky given the output levels of its power amplifiers, its speakers would be enormous. The RMB-1095 has five channels, each rated at 200 watts into 8 ohms. That's a total of 1,000 watts of power, easily enough to keep you warm on winter nights.
Does anyone need this much power in an amplifier? You bet. Most people don't realise that the relationship between the power output of an amplifier and the volume level in a room is not a simple 1:1 ratio. An amplifier rated at 40 watts does not sound twice as loud as one rated at 20 watts, even though it has two times the power. In order for one amplifier to sound twice as loud as another, the two power outputs must be in the ratio 10:1. Do the maths and you'll find that Rotel's 200-watt-per-channel RMB-1095 will sound only twice as loud as a 20-watt amplifier.
The front panel contains a single power switch and five light-emitting diodes (LEDs). These are linked to sophisticated circuits that protect both the amplifier and your loudspeakers. The left, right and centre channels have independent circuitry so any one can be triggered without affecting the remaining two. The surround channels share a protection circuit, so if it triggers, both channels switch off until the fault is corrected. Because of this unusual configuration, you should make certain you connect the speakers properly.
The RMB-1095 is large (44cm wide x 24cm high x 39cm deep) and so heavy (34kg) that Rotel has fitted wheels to the rear instead of the usual rubber feet.
The circuitry is conventional, from the bulletproof dual-toroidal power supply to the output transistors, and notable only for the high quality of the components and circuit boards used. To ensure proper performance with the multichannel SA-CD and DVD-A discs that will be released later this month, frequency response extends flat to 100kHz. Signal-to-noise ratio is 116dB.
When building high-power amplifiers, some companies make the mistake of trading subtlety for brute force. Not Rotel. Although there's sufficient power on board for this amp to be used in commercial applications, its precision and finesse at low volume levels is exceptional, to the point that most listeners could easily be persuaded they were listening to an exotic Class-A amplifier rather than a Class A/B design. Distortion at high volumes is so low that the Rotel virtually dares you to ``wind up the wick"; it's only the whimpers of protest from your loudspeakers that will make commonsense prevail.
Stereo imaging was excellent, with instruments perfectly positioned and fixed in place, irrespective of changes in volume level or pitch. Auditions using wideband SA-CD signals as a source revealed a very sweet sounding upper register with no suggestion of harshness.
The RMB-1095's conventional design means Rotel hasn't had to recoup a large R&D budget, and this is reflected in the low price. It's the perfect upgrade for any low-powered multichannel home-theatre receiver with line outputs.
info file
Rotel RMB-1095 Five-Channel Power Amplifier
Price: $3,699
International Dynamics Pty Ltd
129 Palmer Street, Richmond, Victoria 3121
(03) 9429 0822
1800 456 393
id@international dynamics.com.au
www.international dynamics.com.au
© 2001 Sydney Morning Herald