A Wolf in Budget clothing
As an audiophile, I sometimes find myself missing the experiences I enjoyed growing up. Looking at stacks of equipment, some just filled with buttons which frankly I had no clue as to its purpose. The simplicity of straightforward no-nonsense designs, that just meant you turned them on and off you go!
Fast forward to today, most manufacturers try to cram as many features as possible while trying to look modern. The advantage of this is that with tougher competition comes better quality designs and components at more mass market prices. Bringing the cost of good performance down. In some cases, we get the best of both worlds, the personality and styling of the old with the reliability, technology and features of the new.
The biggest winners with regards to this are the new age of entry level shoppers. Brands compete heavily in this segment, pushing the limits of performance while maintaining affordability. A combination which in the good old days was quite impossible, now achievable. A perfect example of this is the Rotel A8. An integrated amplifier with purist old school looks and functions but utilising new methods to keep costs low. We are going to explore how this budget amplifier, with a pretty good reputation, fairs in my listening session.
When it comes to the aesthetics and the overall unit itself, the Rotel A8 screams retro. From the plain black slim chassis, to the tone controls, large volume knob and quick select input buttons, it’s easy to think that this unit was taken straight from the 90’s. But there is however a little thing that remind you that the unit is of a newer pedigree. The most visual being the LED illumination around the volume knob. Instead of the usual notch. The LED glows according to the corresponding volume, with each light increasing in brightness by 2 steps before moving on to the next. A tactful way of indicating finer volume control.
There are four colour options which you can select for the LED light cycling between blue, purple, red and green. The change will affect the volume knob and input indicator lamps but not the power indicator. This one stays in blue when on and red when in rest mode. Not really sure if someone would want this feature, but it’s there if you do. Also, the LED’s can be dimmed via the remote but to turn it off you need to do so on the unit itself.
Personally, I prefer the LED’s off for a less distracting look when in use. The LED will turn on when any action is done, so fret not about losing a reference point for the volume. One weird decision that bothers me a little is the sequence of input selection which does not match between the remote and the unit. The CD and Tuner inputs are swapped on the remote. A detail which can sometimes confuse you when selecting inputs. A detail which does take a little bit of the polish off this pretty impressive unit.
Speaking of the remote, some reviewers have complained about it, but personally given the aesthetics and features especially at this price point, the remote is fine. Additional features like backlighting or maybe even glow, perhaps a smaller form factor, would just be icing on an already pretty yummy cake. Something for Rotel to improve on in the next iteration.
Switching over to the rear end, we spot 4 RCA inputs with 1 being a phono stage for Moving Magnet only Turntables. Aside from that there is just the single pair of speaker outputs. That is, it! This is a very stripped down and purely analogue unit focusing purely on amplification. Some, including many reviewers, argue about the absence of digital inputs and even wireless connectivity like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. To me the omission makes perfect sense. This is a pure integrated amplifier, and this design choice, gives it unparalleled longevity and, in my opinion, greater flexibility with component matching.
If you are looking for digital connectivity then Rotel has the A11MKII which comes with digital connections and a slight bump up in power. The beauty of the Rotel lineup is the incremental changes within it really does allow you to pay for exactly what you need in your system. A decision that reflects the really affordable price tag that comes with this remarkable little amplifier.
The Rotel A8 is a smooth operator, showcasing a neutral with a hint of warmth, full sound which gives of strong nostalgia vibes. This is an amplifier with a “Good Ol Days” Hi Fi sound. One that I really enjoyed no matter the speaker pairing. Speaking of speakers, I tried the A8 with my KEF LS50, the brand-new Dali Kupid’s and also my Falcon LS3/5a. Safe to say, the amplifier had no problem handling all the above even with its modest 30 watts per channel (into 8 ohms).
While the amplifier had no trouble with all of the speaker pairings above, there was a clear winner in terms of ideal pairing. That being the KEF LS50. This speaker worked really well with the Rotel A8, outputting impressive volumes while delivering solid bass performance.
Generally, a speaker with higher sensitivity will work better with this amplifier with its modest power rating, allowing for a more ideal and impactful sound. Think speakers from Klipsch or Monitor Audio’s Bronze series, anything with higher sensitivities.
I love how the Rotel sounds great with pretty much any genre of music. I tried out the system with some rock music spanning from 90s music like Garbage’s “Stupid Girl” to Korn’s “Make Me Bad” and it sounded great! There was plenty of meat in the midrange that gave guitar riffs the bite and energy which makes rock music exciting. The Rotel also surprised me during a non-listening session where I left the music on shuffle. RY X ‘s “Shortline” started playing and the start of the song just grabbed my attention and forced me to sit back and listen. This amp is not one for critical listening, but one for indulging in good music.
Pair it well and the Rotel A8 rewards you with an enjoyable listen, delivering a good amount of excitement and speed, while presenting details without sounding dry or dull. It’s not the most resolute nor the most nuanced especially with bass. But at this price, it’s difficult to fault the A8 as anything but an amazing amplifier. A unit that delivers a satisfying performance whether it be paired to any source or even through its phono stage. I used my Project Debut Carbon Evo with the Rotel and had some pretty good results. Again, it’s not the best out there, but it doesn’t disappoint. A great value add, especially for a newbie audiophile.
The Rotel A8 is a great entry level amplifier for those looking to start their voyage in this hobby while exploring the art of mixing and matching kit. A very palatable price paired to its palpable performance makes it an ideal piece of kit for anyone starting on this Hi-Fi journey. In my opinion the only thing that Rotel should consider adding for the next iteration would be a set of Preouts or subwoofer output and this amp would be perfect! Perhaps Rotel should also consider a similar design but with a much higher end amplifier, for purist like me. One can hope.
The Rotel A8 Integrated Amplifier retails for RM 1600 and is available at The Experts Sound. Contact them at 6012 646 2738 or visit their showroom in the Gardens Mall, Midvalley for more information.
