Rotel A12MKII Integrated Amplifier: Review (Part One)

Over the past 24 months of the pandemic, we’ve been fortunate to have access to a lot of equipment; expect to see more than 25 reviews from our staff over the next 45 days. I’ve been focusing on integrated amplifiers, speakers, and sources because I enjoy putting together systems for our readership who want some form of context when it comes to system building. How the brand new Rotel A12MKII Integrated Amplifier fits into all of this meshugas was a good challenge to start the new year.

The opportunity to review three components from Rotel over the past 12 months has been really rewarding for me; I had really only listened to their components at trade shows and Hi-Fi stores over the past 23 years and I was really curious.

The Michi X3 and A14MKII were both stellar performers when reviewed; the Michi X3 is one of the best products I’ve tried from any brand over the past decade and is well worth its very expensive asking price. The only other megabuck integrated amplifiers I’ve listened to recently that I think are comparable are the Cambridge Audio Edge A (which I own) and the McIntosh MA352.

The Rotel A14MKII is definitely worth its $1,600 asking price (I believe the price went up recently) but it has a lot more competition; Audiolab 6000A, Croft Phono Integrated, Schiit Audio Ragnarok 2, NAD C 700, Cambridge Audio CXA81, and the Naim NAIT 5si are just a small group of integrated amplifiers that are in the same price category.

The A14MKII is almost $500 more than the brand new Rotel A12MKII which raises a few questions for sure.

Does the more expensive A14MKII offer a lot more to justify the difference in price?

It definitely sounds more refined and powerful, but I can’t say that the gap between them is enormous — that just isn’t the case with some of the loudspeakers I tried.

The Rotel A12MKII is also $300 more than the A11 Tribute Integrated Amplifier and I would definitely say that the A12MKII is a better sounding amplifier with 5 digital inputs and 32-bit/384kHz DAC included.

The power rating difference between them is negligible on paper but the A12MKII has greater reserves and a tighter grip on the low end.

The Rotel A12MKII is a 3-inch tall solid state integrated amplifier that feels very solid out of the box. It’s not a back killer like the Michi X5, but it’s a hefty piece of metal for its size.

The heart of the A12MKII begins with Rotel’s in-house manufactured oversized toroidal transformer feeding high efficiency storage capacitors. Rotel doesn’t skimp when it comes to its transformers or capacitors and a quick look under the hood confirmed similar build quality with the A14MKII.

The A12MKII is replete with inputs supporting your favorite sources including a MM phono stage, 4 RCA analog inputs, 4 digital inputs, PC-USB and support for Bluetooth aptX.

The S/PDIF and Optical digital inputs are limited to 24-bit/192kHz, while the USB will accept up to 32-bit/384kHz.

The class AB amplifier delivers 60 watts/channel into 8 ohms making it more powerful than the A11 Tribute.

The 32-bit/384kHz DAC and Roon-Tested certification complete the package making the Rotel A12MKII a serious piece of kit for those looking to build a $3,000 system with analog and digital sources.

Hijiki Seaweed Salad

Over the weekend, I went to my local Japanese restaurant in Sea Bright. Having lost my sense of smell and taste almost two months ago during my second battle with COVID, I’ve been rather reluctant to venture out and visit my usual haunts when I can’t appreciate what I’m eating.

I enjoy food. Perhaps too much. I grew up in a food industry family and I’ve been fortunate to eat a lot of interesting meals around the globe over the past 40 years. I’m a solid cook and I love certain flavors and scents.

I’m the same way with my audio components. I need a little bit of color and flavor or the sonic experience is very unfulfilling.

When I tasted the Hijiki Seaweed, I sensed something for the first time in almost two months. Flavor. Not a lot of flavor but it was something and I glossed over my disappointment that the red snapper had zero taste and went home and turned the A12MKII back on for another listening session.

Yojimbo

The Rotel A12MKII really shines with a good pair of stand-mount or bookshelf loudspeakers like the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1, Q Acoustics 3030i, or PSB Alpha P5; it has more than enough power for all of them and its slightly forward presentation made all 3 loudspeakers awaken from their slumber.

Eric Pye has become an invaluable member of our team and his knowledge of Jazz Kissa and jazz piano trios has helped to broaden our knowledge base considerably.

Listening to Billy Taylor and Oscar Peterson through the A12MKII and all 3 loudspeakers was somewhat eye-opening; the Rotel doesn’t posses the incisiveness of the Ragnarok 2 or the cool neutrality of the Audiolab 6000A which can often feel like a bitter Montreal morning in January.

Instead, it does a really wonderful job of letting the music flow without adding too much or stripping away the texture and detail that makes a good system such an awakening with your favorite music.

Piano notes had real weight behind them, and more importantly, never obscured the other musicians in the mix. Entry-level amplifiers don’t always do such a great job with that but the Rotel carved out every instrument in its proper place and it moved along with really solid pace.

All 3 of the aforementioned bookshelf loudspeakers sound less engaging or interesting at really low volume levels; I find myself raising the volume level on a consistent basis regardless of the amplifier in the system.

The Rotel wasn’t the most powerful amplifier in my arsenal but I never found myself reaching for the remote if the recording became too unruly. It was always just enough power and the top end was quite smooth and detailed; the A12MKII is the polar opposite of etched or strident in the treble even with heavy metal, classic rock, or electronica.

Last week was the two year anniversary of the passing of Neil Peart, and I felt it appropriate to spend a few hours listening to Rush because it’s almost hard to believe that he’s gone.

Rush was my hometown band and after 19 shows in 3 countries, I was devastated by his passing. I’ve shared my personal connection to Geddy Lee in other articles but Neil Peart connected to me as a teenager like few others.

“Ghost Rider” is a particularly personal song for the band; Peart lost his daughter and wife during a very traumatic 2 years that almost ended the band for good. Peart became a “Ghost Rider” and escaped on his motorcycle to deal with the pain of so much loss.

The album track is a tough one for some speakers and power amplifiers that can’t deal with the complexity, but the Rotel A12MKII and the 3030i dig a little deeper and took me away to a different time when we were blessed with his poetry and overwhelming command of his kit. RIP Professor.

How does the Rotel compare to some of the other integrated amplifiers I have on hand?

You are going to have to wait a week for that but the Rotel A12MKII is going to cause some trouble for amplifiers in the $800 to $1,500 range. Continue reading part 2 of this review here.

Where to buy: $1,249 at Crutchfield

Note: The price has increased $150 since our original review.