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Thread: Rotel RA 940 BX Amp or you learn something new every day!

  1. #1
    Join Date: May 2013

    Location: Bedfordshire

    Posts: 594
    I'm Christopher.

    Default Rotel RA 940 BX Amp or you learn something new every day!

    Beware rambling random lockdown post

    They say every day is a school day but...

    I bought my Rotel RA 94BX amp new in 1993/4 and as the ex-display model I got it a little cheaper but no box or manual.
    When I first used the headphone socket I found that it didn't cut out the speakers and assumed a fault so I always used the monitor function on my tape deck for headphone listening.

    When I bought the Technics SU-V470 PXS from a friend (he worked in a local HiFi shop and was always changing kit) a few years later this slotted straight into my system; the Rotel was cleaned and stored and went away for many years until 2003 when it came out to quickly test a turntable I bought from a fellow forum member.

    A couple of years later I removed the cover, blew out the dust and gave the pots a little switch cleaner with a view to fixing the dodgy headphone socket and selling on. Nostalgia took hold so it got cleaned, wrapped up and packed away again.

    So to today; whilst in lockdown I've been sorting my gear out and solidifying a second and (almost) third system so my thoughts once again turn to the Rotel which I dug out a couple of days back.
    A quick internet search brings a copy of the OEM manual and as I read I get to the point where it says that when wired to the 'Direct' terminals the speaker circuit bypasses the headphone circuit for clearer sound and if you want the headphone jack to cut speaker output then wire to the 'Remote' terminals

    So there was never a fault

    As an aside I also wanted to look into the quality of the phono stage and found an article on 'HiFi Review' that says - 'Otherwise Rotel has opted for a new MM/MC disc input culled, by all accounts, from the ashes of a Michi preamplifier. Two transistors and a bi-FET op-amp form the initial MM/MC gain stage with part-passive, part-active RIAA equalisation being performed around the traditional Signetics chip.'

    I didn't know what a 'Michi' was but another search both here and on the wider net gave me the info that it is a well respected bit of kit.

    So now after a couple of decades out of the system I'm contemplating swapping it with the Cambridge Audio amp to see how it sounds as I'm going for a more minimal system downstairs and ideally just want TT, amp, cd and speakers.

    With any HiFi, specs etc. don't mean much if it doesn't sound right to you so I need to reference the current set up then swap the amp and test. I also plan to change the TT as the SL1200 Mk1 is coming downstairs and the SL1210 Mk2 is going up to pair with it's SL1200 Mk2 brother in a not so very audiophile set up (yeah, mixer, CD decks, studio monitors etc.)

    So if you've made it this far then thanks for sticking with me and if you do have any insight whether the phono stages in Rotel amps of this era were indeed Michi derived then please do share as this would be very interesting to know
    Best Wishes
    Christopher D
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Main System: Vinyl - Technics SL1200 Mk1, Technics Mk2 Headshell , Audio Technica AT_VM95C, Cambridge Audio Azur 551P Phono Stage: CD - Marantz CD 6005: Amp - Cambridge Audio Azur 351A: Speakers - B&W DM600
    Second System (WIP) : CD - NAD C 521i : Cassette - Technics RS-BX404: Amp - Technics SU-V470 PXS : Speakers - Wharfdale Laser 60
    Streaming: Audio Interface - Focusrite Scarlett 8i6: Active Monitors - Adam Audio T5V

  2. #2
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: Surrey

    Posts: 7,103
    I'm Rob.

    Default

    Nice write-up. One of my first "serious" buys was a Rotel RA930 AX. I was relegated to headphones for most of my listening in those days. This also required you to use the remote speaker outs. I still have the amp and it looks really good, perhaps due to the no-nonsense, no bling styling.
    Buy Bose...And get your parking validated!.

    https://youtu.be/ZCBe7-6rw4M

    No Highs...No Lows....It Must Be Bose!

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