Rotel A11 Tribute SL Integrated Amplifier, 2 x 50

An integrated amp for analog music lovers The Rotel A11 is called "Tribute" because it was developed in cooperation with the late, great audio engineer Ken Ishiwata - it's a tribute to his 40+ years in the industry. It's an integrated amp for analog music lovers, with five RCA inputs, including a phono stage for a turntable with a moving magnet cartridge. The efficient toroidal power supply inside provides a robust 50 watts per channel for one or two pairs of connected speakers. Built-in Bluetooth with high-quality aptX audio coding lets you stream music wirelessly. My hands-on experience with the Rotel A11 Tribute When I heard that the legendary Ken Ishiwata had chosen to upgrade the Rotel A11 shortly before his passing, I wondered to myself "why the entry-level model?" Upon taking this integrated amplifier home for a tryout, I think I understand why - because it sets the tone for the rest of the series. When I use an integrated amp, I want it to do a few simple things: give me inputs to connect my sources, provide an easy-to-use interface, and deliver solid power for my speakers. Other than that, I primarily want it to disappear - to get out of the way and let my music shine. To test how the A11 would meet those challenges, I connected its partner component - the Rotel CD11 Tribute CD player - and my trusty Pro-Ject Debut Carbon turntable. Then I wired up a nice pair of Bowers & Wilkins 606 S2 Anniversary Edition stand-mount speakers and started listening to digital and analog recordings from various decades. I cycled through several very familiar albums from my collection - John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman , Lyle Lovett Live in Texas and Herbie Hancock's Headhunters , to name a few. Each recording sounded like I expected it to, which is a compliment. Romantic ballads laid down in the 1960s should sound different from electrified 70s funk-jazz and both of those should sound different from an eclectic live recording of country-gospel from the 1990s. Long story s