Rotel RCD-1520 or 1072?

I couldn't agree more with Adam18. My RCD-1072 is such a great machine and yes I also use it with HDCD discs. The new 1520 does not decode HDCD. Coincidentally, I too upgraded to AQ King Cobra interconnects this year. Same as Adam18. Wow, I guess great "ears" think alike!!

For what it's worth, the RCD-1072 CD player was TAS 2003 Product of the Year.

I too would think that slot loading could contribute more to disc wear than the true "audiophile" drawer loading. Interesting point.

Thanks for the responses guys! It does seem like the 1072 is a great machine and I guess I'll look for it on Agon soon. The slot loading mechanism of the 1520 does worry me but I looked around on some forums and apparently it's of good quality.

With that said, I'm pretty sure the specs of the two CD players are identical; the new 1520 simply uses a different DAC and different op-amps. Is that alone enough to contribute to a bigger sound difference?

Another area that could improve overall sound is creating a shorter signal path on the circuit board of the player. I'm not saying this was designed in to the new RCD-1520 (could be) but I know on some other brands, new models incorporate a shorter path for the signal to travel thereby minimizing loss. It may be worth asking someone at Rotel about this. Reading over the RCD-1072 technical description at Rotel's website, it sounds very similar to the 1520 overview and even mentions the phrase "minimalist" circuit environment. One Rotel dealer sales person did tell me that the new 1520 is superior to the 1072. Of course, what else would he say? It would be interesting to do a side by side listening comparison. But for the price of a preowned 1072, you can't go wrong as opposed to a new 1520.

Mkash3

I’ve got a Rotel RDV-1093, which is sonically superior to the 1072. It was their flagship disc player two - three years ago. I sent you an email via Agon, but I’m not sure if you received it. I will be posting for sale the 1093 probably for less than what a new 1072 sells for, but I haven't gotten around to posting it yet. If you’re interested contact me via the Agon member email system.

Ben

Used 1072 go for $350 - $400. A great value at this price point.