Rotel A14MKII Integrated Amplifier Review
On the chopping block so to speak, is the Rotel A14 MkII. Rotel is a brand that has eluded me in my adventures into HiFi. I had always heard about them and have even lusted after their 1582 MKII power amp for no other reason than I love the way it looks in silver. So pretty. Though, I haven't heard the 1582 MKII mind you, but had seen Rotel amps paired with Bowers and Wilkens gear in product lifestyle shoots in the past—and being a bit of a B&W fanboy—I was ready to jump at the chance to give one a listen. So it goes without saying that I was more than happy to take delivery of Rotel's refreshed A14 MKII integrated amplifier for a review.
Refreshed being the keyword. MKII means that it's not a complete overhaul of the design but that some key features and components have been upgraded. The upgrades include circuit design innovations and component-level changes in key circuit locations, leveraging the design elements from Rotel's higher-end Michi Series.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Moving magnet Photo Input
- Upgraded internals
- Inputs can be fixed and variable
- Wireless aptX and Bluetooth
- Certified Roon Tested
- Supports MQA and MQA Studio
- 32-bit/384kHZ DAC
INTRODUCTION
As with my other reviews from this summer, I was in-between homes and at our cottage for the majority of it. And as such the reviews were somewhat hindered. Our family had to pack up the majority of our home and put it into storage and bring what we could fit into my Kia Rio Hatch and my wife's Tesla Model 3 out to our cottage. As such, I was limited in what Stereo equipment I could bring up. Turntables were out, as was vinyl. The CD transport and subwoofer got nixed too. But what I managed to bring up was enough. My B&W 685 s1, NAD 326BEE, and Cambridge Audio DAC Magic 200M (review on the way!). Knowing that the Rotel A14 MKII was on the way, I feel like I had enough to do a basic comparison and test out some great digital music. But alas testing out the phono stage wouldn't happen this time around.
Our cottage is on the smaller side. Cozy, but not the most conducive for visually showcasing an amplifier of the Rotel's caliber. My setup would have to be tucked away into a corner and brought out for listening sessions. Listening at high volumes for a long period wasn't going to happen either as our cottage doesn't really have the space to warrant high volumes. I gave it the old college try mind you but all I succeeded in doing was damaging my hearing and knocking things off of shelves.
The benefit of our cottage is that it's quiet. I mean, I knew that it was quiet, but, I didn't realize how quiet it was until I started reviewing the Rotel A14MKII. Compared to our former home in the city, there was a lack of noise pollution. Construction, cars, people talking (or yelling in our old neighborhood). Making listening much more insightful and subtleties more apparent. It got me thinking of a future renovation of our cottage to make room for a proper listening area. Sigh…
