Are Rotel amps and preamps any good?

In comparison to what? They are a good product for the money. They are better than Denon, Yamaha, Pioneer Elite etc., but they are not going to compete with McIntosh, Krell, etc in their price range. I would say they compete well with Parasound, Higher end Marantz, etc.

By any chance, do these dealers sell Rotel? If they do, but they talk down Rotel, are they trying to steer you to a more expensive product? You have to consider the source. Rotel is generally considered to be a quality budget audiophile line.

Rotel gear is very good in its price category. Well engineered, solidly built and with very good sound quality, that will tend to be more robust (in a positive way) than delicate and nuanced, but never shrill or edgy. Power supplies are typically quite robust. Theo's comments are right on target, imo.

There are a number fairly recent reviews, but you might have to extrapolate from these to the most current models which may have replaced the one reviewed. Here's what I found in a few minutes on Google:

RB-1080 amplifier: TAS Issue 132

RB-1080 amplifier: Stereophile Vol.25 No.3 March, 2002

RC-1090 preamplifier: TAS Issue 132

RA-1062 Integrated Amp: TAS Issue 149

RA-1070 Integrated Amp: www.tnt-audio.com

RCD-1072 CD Player: TAS Issue 146
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