Rotel RX-1052 Stereo Receiver review
The RX-1052 device is significantly more expensive than the integrated amplifier of the same acoustic parameters and it is reasonable. The design of receiver is new design for the company; however it is based on the classical canons. The only unusual detail is the black powerful knobs: it is easy to take out the device from the special stand with the help of them. The aluminum faceplate features almost the complete set of keys that will please audiophiles who are accustomed to the traditional Hi-Fi-technology. There are no inputs here (apparently the device is not optimized for the lovers of the portable players). But there are a lot of connectors on the backboard. This is the main difference between this receiver and the typical two-channel amplifier. Two sets of acoustic systems allow voicing one of the two rooms (but not both at the same time). Two stereo inputs, two preamplifier outputs and the Phono-input are intended for the connection with the audio equipment. And there are the AV-ports - nothing more or less than half a dozen: four inputs, two outputs and a separate monitor output. Unfortunately there is only a composite video signal. Meanwhile, the serious attention is paid to the integration of the device into the "smart home" system. The receiver can provide four zones (main and three additional) with the line AV-signal and each zone is provided with its own IR port. Connection with the control computer is provided via the Ethernet which also serves for the firmware upgrade. The names of the inputs seen on the built-in display can be changed. There is no input-output redirection and it is hardly necessary in this case.
The device is designed under the signature technology of the balanced design. It features the optimized circuit topology designed to minimize the analog signal path, which allows reducing the disturbances and avoiding the mutual pickups from the various circuits. It is worth noting the special rail fuse scheme: it is based on a temperature sensor, thus it is completely isolated from the audio circuits that should also positively affect the sound quality.
The most interesting functions are related to the multi-room installations. It is possible to configure and save the starting and maximum volume for each remote area. You can also assign the source for each area or to activate the Party mode when the signal from one player will be spread to all the areas at once. There is the LF/HF-tones control. And there are no other means of sound processing; this fact corresponds to the ideology: the signal from input to binding posts passes through the minimum number of circuit elements. The remote control allows controlling an additional CD/DVD-player. It is a device with a proven layout of buttons, so you will easily get the hang of it. Dual-band RDS-tuner is equipped with the 30 station memory. It can be adjusted automatically, manually or with the direct frequency setting. During the listening the device perfectly copes with the sounding of the large floor acoustic systems, although the declared capacity is not very high - 100 WPC. The device features the good clarity and smooth interpretation without any significant stresses. These are the characteristics of the premium equipment and the Rotel is endued with them to the full extent. Of course you can buy a simple integrated Rotel amplifier for the same money and it will be significantly superior in capacity than the RX-1052. But is the capacity the only important thing? We set the completely different tasks for the stereo receiver and the device managed with them. The demanding consumer can be disappointed only with the lack of high-quality video switching (YCbCr, RGB or digital - via HDMI).
But the main thing is different - the sound quality of the receiver is not inferior to the specialized stereo amplifiers of the same capacity, therefore the balanced design and other constructive solutions have proven its value (with the exception of the non-standard location of the output stages). The circuits of the tuner and the switch are well insulated; their influence on the analog highway is minimal. We can recommend completing the set of the device with the English acoustics without any explicit genre preferences, for example, the new B&W 600 acoustic systems. This set will fit perfectly to the owner of the multi-room apartments (installers, who handle with the multi-room systems, dig up!), the open-minded music lover and the movie lovers (the intellectual movies with the emphasis on visuals rather than rabid effects).
