Many hours I spend to listen this hdcd player in combo with 2magnat aggressors' 6000,kef's concord 3 also 2 mission v63 behind me and central speaker (Samsung with some custom setup) all was connected to denon avr 1907 in 5ch stereo mode and rotel rb-976 mk2 3ch mode(but two channels used only for subs).This setup was in there different size rooms,and from many friends i heard that sound amazingly and deep, personally..this rotel sound fresh and clear will never change to other as I heard the difference between this hdcd and good copy's from internet,hd mode is beneficial too.Highly recommended!

I've had this player for a little over 2 months now. I bought it from an online used equipment site just to have a second CD player in a games room in my home. When I hooked it up I was surprised at how good it sounded, so out of curiosity I decided to compare it against the Naim CD5 XS that I own and use on my main system.

It was a bit bright when I ran it head-to-head with the Naim using the Rotel built in DAC, but it still sounded pretty good. Then I was absolutely shocked when I ran it through my Musical Fidelity M1 DAC!!! After hours of listening and playing different redbook discs and HDCD's through the Rotel I honestly couldn't tell the difference between the two players.

This really is a cracker piece of kit!!

The only downside is the display can't be dimmed and might be a bit bright in a dark listening room, but for my purposes it didn't matter at all.

Astonishing sound from this little guy. Mated with the proper amp and speakers, the sound from the RCD-02 rivals some of the higher end players found on hi-fi store shelves today!

I picked up this player used 4 years ago from a friend who moved overseas, and it plays just as good today as it did then. When the original owner came back, he went out and purchased the RCD-06 due to his love for the 02. I have also heard his (on his system, which is different than mine, of course) and I would bank on anyone being hard pressed to tell the difference between the two in a blind test.

Vocals are light and airy. Bass is deep and envelopes you in a warm blanket of sound. Mids are very detailed and don't get lost in the mix. Instruments and voices stand out and are well defined in their own well defined spaces.

One of the best pieces of equipment I have ever purchased (including Bryston, Marantz, Linn, Rega, and a few others). I also see no reason to change this player as it has a digital output that could be mated with a modern day DAC if I choose to go that route.

Rotel hit a home run with this one.

Ok... I have been an audio buff for years and also have been a professional musician. If you have a nice quality amp and good speakers do yourself a favour and get a RCD02 if you can hunt one down .

My god these are extremely beautiful cd players with depth, imaging and pure cleanliness like nothing I have heard before.

I WILL NEVER SELL MINE!

LOVE IT!

:)

Over the course of 4 months I had 3 different entry-level players in my system, trying to complete an update (and hopefully upgrade) of much of my stuff that dated back to the mid-90's. I started with a Cambridge 640Cv2 (highs were way too bright), then tried a NAD C542 (very nice all-around), and finished with the RCD-02. The Rotel -02 is the last man standing.

I won't itemize my gear, but will say the result of my upgrade means I have a lot less metal on my shelves (scrapped all the external processors--DAC, eq, DIP are all gone). Since sonic performance of one piece is dependent on all the other, it was important for me to make sure the moon and stars were all in alignment. The Rotel got me there. The NAD C542 was pretty good, but since I upgraded to a new Rotel amp, I think there was some kind of symbionic meld with the RCD-02 (possibly 100% psychological). As other reviewers have noted, there was an opening of the soundstage both left to right, as well as depth. While the Cambridge machine really adds a lot to the low end, it was mostly in the form of "boom". The Rotel's low end is a much more defined, tight and punchy bass (especially bass drums). The highs on the Rotel are equally clean, and not bright and sizzling like on the Cambridge.

This is a tough machine to find, but well worth the effort. I got mine off a craigslist auction and convinced the seller to send it to me. The Cambridge and NAD are easily found from authorized dealers (which made it easy to take 'em back). At a fraction of the cost of Rotel's newer RCD-1072, the -02 is a real value, with only a small amount of compromise in sound quality.

Sound quality
Build quality

Lacking features (oh well)

Well, I finally put in the last piece of the puzzle. For years now, I've been listening to a sup-standard mid-90's pioneer six-pack CD played through my Rotel RSX-1055 receiver and my Vandersteen Model-1 speakers.

I knew I needed a new CD player to get the most out of my system, so I started researching. This website and others all pointed to Rotel RCD-02 for the best bet. I found a demo unit (with low miles) at a local high-end store for $350.00.

The first thing i noticed was the openness of the sound and the depth of the stage. The sound stage is not very wide (barely breaches the speakers), but the depth is amazing.

The individual instruments all find there own place within the stage and every detail of the recording is cleanly revealed. The bass is punchy and fast (very much like my Thorens turntable). The mid-bass is clear and defend. The mids flat and detailed. I did notice a bit of exageration in the uper-midrange, (this is what other reviewers refer to as the Rotel sound), it is a very slight however and it is not necessarily a bad thing. the highs are glorious, clean, clear and not harsh or fatiguing. I heard my Vandys thanking me with every note.

The Rotel RCD-02 does lack several of the (seldom, if ever used) features found on similar CDPs, such as a headphone jack, display dimmer and programmability. This is a no frills machine.

The build quality is top-notch, heavy and solid. There's no doubt this is a serious CDP. The drawer is a little noisy when opening/closing, but that doesn't affect its sound quality so, what the heck.

If you can get your hands on one of these, do it. You will not be disappointed.

everything. sound, reliability, appearance, built

no dimmer

the cleanest, purest, most balanced sound i have heard coming out from a CD player...i am referring to the latter rcd06 model. have a listen and hear it for yourself. this will redefine your sonic standards and expectations.

Similar Products Used:

CA azur640c, 540c, nad c542, marantz cd5001, rotel rcd02, arcam cd73t, hk hd970

Convincing music reproduction across a range of musical styles. Outstanding build quality and finish, good looks. Hassle free operation.

None really. Would be handy if the display could be dimmed.

I've owned this CD player for about 6 months now, as part of my first serious system building exercise. The system (in almost daily use) fulfils a dual movie/music role with about 5 or 10% of usage dedicated to films or DVD music concerts and the balance to music. I started out listening to music on my DVD player with the intention of purchasing a dedicated CDP when my budget allowed. My initial shortlist included the Marantz CD 7300, NAD C352 and the RCD 02. Without launching into extended mini reviews of each product, I'll briefly explain the factors that led to my decision to get the Rotel. I had experienced some reliability issues with my Marantz DVD player (I went through 2 faulty machines before owning the one I have presently, which works perfectly)and I guess that caused a certain amount of bias against disc players of this brand. So that narrowed the shortlist down to the NAD vs. the Rotel. As I'm sure anyone searching through CDP reviews in recent times has noticed, the NAD has been universally praised as a class leading product. Looking around various user forums on the other hand did reveal that some owners had picked up issues with build faults. I must admit that this did cause me a bit of panic given my (then) recent hassles and not wanting to go through the same dealer back and forth made a strong case for the Rotel given the brand reputation for outstanding build quality and reliability. With this in mind I set out to listen to these machines in action. When auditioned, the primary difference between the two was a more "confidant" presentation by the Rotel with slightly more pronounced emphasis on upper midrange information (perhaps described by some as "forward" sounding). Both had great detail resolution and produced a relatively accurate timbre when reproducing voices and acoustic instruments (important to me as I listen to a great deal of acoustic jazz). In other words it was a close call in terms of their respective music making ability, which meant that other factors (notably build quality) eventually swung my vote in favour of the Rotel. Having owned the machine for the past 6 months I can add the following observations. This CDP forms a good partnership with my amp (a Marantz PM 7200). The Rotel's punchy projection is a good counter balance for the amps tendency towards sensible restraint thus providing the necessary "spark" to keep the music exciting without becoming a sonic "free for all", whereas the NAD may have contributed to an altogether "duller", less involving sound. The same may be true if partnered with other "recessive" sounding amplification, where this CDP's input could produce livelier results. Initially I considered it a weakness in the machine's playback ability that complex passages of music seemed one dimensional, perhaps described as a sort of non-dynamic "wall of sound" during extended peaks, but this situation has been vastly improved since recently upgrading my interconnects (to a Van den Hul [D 102 III Hybrid] set costing about a quarter of the purchase price of the CDP, had a Audioquest "Alpha Snake" 1,0m pair before). I know this probably sounds like the ramblings of a crazed, fire - breathing audiophile who should get out more (which I hopefully am not!), but I can honestly say that purchasing quality ancillaries will really reveal the extent of this machines performance capabilities. In terms of operation and build quality, I can add the following. Using the Rotel is a breeze. CD's read quickly (skipping tracks is likewise without tedious delays) and the tray motion is fast when loading discs. The transport mechanism is pretty quiet during playback. The remote is easy to navigate around (even in the dark) once you know your way around it. It's a pity that the display can't be dimmed, more because it's a distraction in a darkened room than it being a performance issue. As for build quality, the machine weighs 5kgs and the (plastic) buttons on the fascia feel sturdy enough when used. Overall you get the impression of sturdiness, which leads me to believe that Rotel's reputation for sound build quality is well deserved. In conclusion, I would recommend this CDP for audition to anyone shopping in this price range, given it's solid performance across a range of musical styles, including rock and electronic music (about 20 - 25% of my listening) where it's fast, bassy presentation can really produce exciting results when required. In case anyone was wondering about HDCD performance; I only own one HDCD format disc ("The Soft Bulletin" by the Flaming Lips) but unfortunate production techniques (liberal use of distortion effects) render the reputed sonic benefits of the format void. The actual format switch is simply indicated by the illumination of the second blue LED on the fascia (the other being the power indicator)

Similar Products Used:

NAD C542 & 521 BEE, Marantz CD 7300 and CD 5400.

Flat response, articulate but not clinical sounding, tight and well-defined bass, good soundstage, great value for the money. I've enjoyed listening to this player immensely.

None I can identify yet.

Great value in a single CD player!

Similar Products Used:

Marantz CD-52

Sounds smooth, excellent soundstage and precise bass.

On some detailed tracks it looses a little bit of clarity.

Was using a dvd player to play music through a NAD C372 amplifier and Celestion 66 speakers and just didn't sound good. I read many cd player reviews and decided to buy the rotel RCD-02 for its sound performance and build, not to mention the cool purple power light. Needs a few days of playing to run in and totally amazed with the difference it has made to the soundstage - very clear and much better bass. This is a excellent cd player for its price. Did I mention the cool purple power light!