Anyone heard that Rotel amp that cost 2700 in 1996

Look on the Rotel website and see if it's listed. I think it lists U.S. products only. Rotel sells a number of products for overseas sales only.

The two most costly amps listed in the Rotel Archives are:
RB1090 380W, THX, balanced outs 1999 $1999
RMB1095 5 x 200W 1999- $1,999
There is nothing that high around 1996 unless there was an RHT amp not listed.
See info at: http://www.rotel.com/html/backprod/index.html

Yes I have heard of them and own two such units. I have the Rotel RHB-10 (200-watt version) that sold for $3500 new (picked it up back in 97 at close-out at PX when I was in Germany for $500). I also have the pre-amp RHA-10 that sold for $2500 new (also picked up at close-out sale for $350). How do they sound? Exceptional. The folks at Rotel turned their engineers loose for both of these models without any price constraints. Amp weighs 60 pounds and is a true dual-mono product with the highest quality materials/components. Both models are beautiful to look at. If you ask the folks at Rotel...they will tell you they have yet to make anything (amp/pre-amp) that sounds as good as these units even 7 years later. Interestingly enough, units did not sell that well despite outstanding reviews in Brit press. Don't even think you could get them in the States although configured for 110 or 220 watts. Guess no one wanted to spend that much on Rotel products.

I own the rhb10 power amp, rha10 active pre-amp and also the rhc10 passive pre-amp.
These are really high end units.
The rhb10 retaild in the us 2700 $$; the rha10 1500 $$.
I don't know how the rhc10 passive pre-amp retaild; i know it was sold around 600-700 sterling in england.
The power amp is a great machine, to my taste better then the bryston 4b-st for instance.
the active pre-amp is great too but notas the power amp.
The passive pre-amp is superb and is an excelent match for the mighty rhb10, better then the active pre-amp.
The only problem when using the passive pre-amp is that you have a gain loose and abit of dynamics loose so you have to use excelent interconnects and keep them as short as possible (half meter) and an excellent cd player with enough output voltage (2v).