I bought this Rotel integrated amp in 2001 at a high-end audio store in L.A. It was a brand new design and the salesmen were really pushing it. I was thinking I needed a 100 watt per channel amp. This one was rated 60 watts per channel. I told them I would use the unit to power my Ohm Walsh 4 upgrades. They assured me this was more than adequate. I was a bit skeptical, but paid the store price of $600 for the unit. It is now Jan., 2015. This is a super clean sounding integrated amp with plenty of power to fill a good sized room with beautiful sound. Very simple to use. The only time I had to do any repair to this unit was to replace a fuse. The pots could use cleaning when you switch it to the tone controls, but I haven't bothered because I leave it on flat .Classical music sounds fantastic on my speakers with this power house of sound. The salesmen were right. I use my stereo a lot. A note not pertaining to this amp.---------- Stay away from Rotel carousel CD changers. The player sounds very good, but the changer mechanism breaks. I had two models and after a year or so the changer mechanisms failed, so they could no longer be used.. Rotel told me they could no get parts for the carousel, so I had to scrap it. ----But the amp is great.

price to performance ratio, clean yet warm, open stage feel, detail

This is a definite upgrade from my previous amp ao at this point, my objectivity might be compromised. If I notice any weakness in the coming months, I'll post again

I second the review that lauded the bang for the buck factor. Performance is sweet, warm and effortless. The sound mids and highs a very clean yet NOT cold, clinical and sterile. The low end is cohesive and focused....not overdone. The sound stage is nice and open giving an airy/breezy feel. This surprised me because of my ancient speakers! The detail is amazing. This is the first time I heard the trombonist take a breath for a solo in Copland's Rodeo (Slatkin, St Louis, 1986 EMI) and I've had this recording for 10 years! For me this is an interim amp. Eventually I'd like to go into seperates. I won't be surprised if I keep this longer than planned. Onkyo DX-702 Sansui spX8000 standard off-the-roll 16 gauge speaker cable

clarity, detail, punch, control, dynamics,

resolution could be a bit better, looks not very special

This little amp doesn't look very special and offers "only" 60 watts per channel, but it really kicks. It's clear that Rotel has spent the money where it really counts; under the hood. It really controls the speaker and gets never stessed. It offers excellent detail and imaging. The soundstage is very wide and solid, but not very deep. Midrange is very clair and offers good resolution but not exceptional. Bass is absolutely special; some people may feel that it lacks bass, but than you realise that the bass is so well controlled that it never sounds boomy or out of control.
This control and grip over the speaker comes from it's enourmous power supply. This makes the amp also capable of delivering dynamic swings without seeming to try hard.
At the same time it's a very musical amp and brings music to life full of energy... it makes you sit up and listen.

I compared it to these amps:


Marantz PM-7000: good detail, neutral, but ABSOLUTELY LIFELESS, probably the most lifeless amp I've ever heard

Marantz PM-8000: Not much better than the 7000, sounds a bit warmer and bit more musical

Thule Spirit A60: Very good imaging and resolution, but lacks the punch I wanted

Arcam Alpha 8R: good punch, warm, musical but lacks bite and sounds a bit muffled

The Rotel RA-972 was amp the I was after; an amp which sounded full of life and energy whithout loosing control.
It really brings music to life and doesn't seem to try hard; those 60watts per channel are really underestimated and I'm sure that this little amp could drive much bigger speakers. If the music had just a bit more resolution; I'd be perfectly happy... but at this price I'm not going to complain..

I use this amp with Arcam 7se cd-player, B&W 601 speakers(gonna upgrade them to Dynaudio Audience 50 or maybe 60), Atacama SE24 stands, MIT Terminator 6 interconnect, Chord Co Carnival Speaker cable.

Rotel really kicks!!

Similar Products Used:

Marantz PM-7000, Marantz PM-8000, Arcam alpha 8R, Thule Spirit A60

Nice instrument texturing and detail. Ergonomic. Good value.

Some unevenness in the low midrange.

Setup: I play classical music; chamber, symphonic, operatic. HK FL 8550 cd player -> Rotel RA-972 stereo integrated transistor amp -> Proac Tablette 2000 speakers

The Rotel's outstanding characteristic is realistic string texture (particularly violins), much better than the glossed-over sound of the Nakamichi and Denon receivers. The tonal unevenness appeared in a comparison of piano music with the RA-985 and is not dramatic. (On small speakers, the 985, 972, and 931 (
The preamp stage produces a small amount of hiss (as determined by disconnecting preamp from amp on the 985) and allows a somewhat larger amount of crosstalk between inputs. I don't have a comparison with other amps on these points.

Functionality is excellent: Clean look. Clean remote (beware that of the 985). Tone controls with bypass. Modest heat production. 5 yr warranty. Weaknesses: No balance control. I have not found a power cord that plugs into the chassis snugly.

Similar Products Used:

stereo integrated amps: Rotel RA-985 (100W), Nakamichi 100W receiver, Denon (365?) 60W receiver

produces sound

dull, recessed vocal reproduction anemic low-end poor quality highs

a lot of coloration to achieve a faked up 'hot sound'. Like a Pioneer product. Vocals are lost which loses the depth in the music. Boom and Tizz. Not very open soundstage but OK for rock n roll.

Similar Products Used:

kenwood mcintosh marantz

Great Sound for the money, open soundstage, fairly good
detail, clear treble

Slightly bright sounding, needs good cables

I picked this up second hand with about 3 years still left
in the warranty. I heard the newer RA-1060 (updated version of the RA-972) but you would have to fork out a bit more
money. The only notable "improvements" the 1060 has over the 972 is the front designer look (not that important), larger heat sinks, and Burr-Brown line stage. I like the RA-972 because it has fully adjustable tone controls, not the preset contour ones that the 1060 has. Besides both have the
new British Aerovox t-network capacitors which is supposed to provide greater resolution. Why pay more for a new cosmetics job when the two amps are more or less similar sounding. Unlike another reviewer who critized the RA-972 for a lack of soundstage- what do you expect at this price? I find it pretty well-detailed and dependable (Rotel style)with lots of power (it drove my smaller Maggies MMG pretty good). You of course need some good quality cables (MIT, VDH, Kimber etc) and this machine should work well. Place it on a set of isolation cones and this Rotel can really sing. High-end performance for a budget price. Get a used one and you have nothing to lose.

Similar Products Used:

NAD, Marantz, Harmon Kardon

Still a good buy for the money- clear, dynamic, with little
coloration.

None at this price range

I cannot understand anyone (previous reviewer) who could
give this product only 1 star! The coloration is very minimal. I have used this product for 4 months now and my
initial impression from my earlier review has not changed
one bit. Yes, there are many amps out there that has a better refined sound but you would have to pay more- a lot more! I cannot understand why vocals are a problem- in fact I find the vocals fairly accurate with good depth and projection. Listening to the new Diana Krall album was a joy
because I could pinpoint exactly her voice and there is a lot of air around the instruments. What you need is perhaps
a little more time to burn in this amp (takes at least 100
hours) before you can properly access its sonic merits.
Also choosing the right equipment to pair it with is essential because this amp can be brighter sounding but that is not at all a distraction because the bass is still present and very tight. Rotel is very much reliable and
at the price has very few competitors. I can safely vouch for this product not just simply because I have it, but because it is truly a worthy addition to a budget audiophile
system. Match this amp with a good pair of budget speakers
(Mission, Axiom etc), decent cd player, interconnects/cables and you will be much amazed at the consistency this amp provides. The option to replace the ac cord is very useful
as I now use an upgraded XLO power cord which tightens up the sound and reinforces the imaging a lot more. Don't be
disheartened by the previous review. You have nothing to lose but everything to gain especially if you can pick this
amp for under $500! The five year warranty from Rotel is also an additional bonus.

sound,build

none

very warm sounding.clear,and focused

Similar Products Used:

denon pma1500r

Very open, warm and smooth sound. Extremely wide soundscape. Very detailed. Very strong middles and basses.

See strengths. Like every amplifier, it gives an impression of the original sound that you either like or dislike.

I first bought a Marantz PM7000, but returned that because of its flat and empty sound. The Rotel RA-972 is kind of the opposite. It sounds amazingly open, wide, full, warm and detailed. So much, that at first I found it difficult to listen to the music, as I was constantly focusing on the amazing sound quality. I can imagine that some people might feel that the RA-972 overdoes it a little.
The middles are really great. The highs also sound good, but stand out less than at some competitors. At the Marantz for example, the voice of the singer really stands apart from the music (due to its bias to high tones), while the Rotel treats a voice just like any other sound, so it blends more with the rest of the music. Some will people will like this, some won't.

So all in all a very good amplifier, but consider your loudspeakers and music taste before bying it (it may be not the best choice for electronic music for example, which prefers a more neutral sounding amp).

Lots of low end control. Bass is clear and defined.
High is crystal, very detailed with minute sounds coming through.
Voices are clear and precise, as are cymbals and strings.
I am listening to Sara and Loreena! You know who they are!

No tuner? I dont know if its a weekness but i fail to see
why they did not slap one on...
Remote power off is stanby only.

Easy to install/use/configure.

Has bass/tremble but can be bypassed.
Has a HUGE power supply and it shows in bass control.
Clear, crisp highs. I did not persive lower mid unevenness
but i am hooked up to Paradigm Studio 60's and my CD is
the very impressive DVD-S795/6 from Yamaha. Impressive
sound and image, a must have.

Very good product and a very good price!

Similar Products Used:

NAD 705/C340, Yamaha RX-585, Simaudio i5080 (which kills the
others but is 3X expensive) and a Denon RD-385