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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They have a solid rep for good value and taking care of the customer,but a couple of pieces recently had firmware problems which Rotel is/has solved and may have spiked upward the complaints numbers.
At any rate this page branches into a wealth of info including a wonderful review collective and PDF downloads page.
Club Rotel page with good links

I don't think they can be beaten unless you spend a bit more. I prefer Rotal to Adcom and Anthem for many pieces. Not the most transparent, but solid performers.