Rotel 1072: Deserving of product of the year?

I recently decided to sell off my CEC/dCS combo and move some of the money into other areas; as such, I was used to VERY GOOD digital, and wondered if I could be happy with a cheaper setup. What do you know, I come upon TAS review and think "wow, $700 would sure leave me with a chunk of change in my pocket!" and head down to my local hifi shop to have a listen.

Initially, the Rotel grabbed me. Wow, deep, tuneful bass like I couldn't believe for a low-price player. I am shocked Allen didn't mention it more in his review! This is *the* strong suit of the CDP imo, especially at it's price point.

But the very thing Allen liked left me very cold in the end. The CDP certainly has no evident self-noise, and everything springs forth from a black background. This is unnerving, though, and completely unlike a real musical event. I listen to alot of live music, and aim in my home to recreate the live experience as closely as possible. While the Rotel got the "sound" right, it couldn't portray the music. The best way I can describe it is it's like you're looking at 4 very nice pictures of musicians, not an oil painting of a quartet. Like I said, this grabbed me initially, but I just couldn't get away from listening to the sounds hanging in space, couldn't get to the heart of the musical event. I played a few recordings I made personally, with 2 mics in a stereo config on the lip of a stage, and this hammered it home. I wasn't transported back to the live event, but listening to some musicians in space.

The Rotel was also forward, and had no real soundstage depth to speak of. This and the bass, I think, is what grabbed me initially, however, as upon A/B you think "wow!" and only after alot of listening do it's faults become evident.

Now the Rotel certainly does alot of things right, and is definitely a good performer in it's price range. It's not irritating and etched like some CDPs (my departed Cary CD308 to name), but in the end it doesn't do music to my ears. So is it product of the year? Well, maybe, as it certainly was NOT veiled, irritating, or boring. On the contrary, in fact, and lots of <$1000 CDPs are afflicted with said traits. So maybe it is deserving, although I didn't like the presentation much!

I was able to open the sound stage up and beyond the plane of loudspeakers by backing off on room/wall treatments there for the previous player.Like you said musical objects emerged from inky blackness. That still applies but the events are larger with more scale and dynamics.The Rotel is always louder than it seems at start with good jump.Main center image still begins just foward or at same plane as the Soliloquy 6.5 in smallish 20x12(bad thing?)backing has increased depth. Lack of noise allow this due to less room/boundary excitation? I moved some of the area rugs on tile back from boundaries a bit and stage image depth(Soliloquy6.5)very nice now. Fear of harsh sound from livlier room was unwarranted in my case. Late nite listening when it is spooky quiet here is an absolute thrill thats when that noise floor has details emerging from that blackness in 3 dimensional detail. I am still adjusting to that, by which I mean sounds never heard before from my discs can be musical or distracting such as cellphones ringing deep in the mix sounding like someone way beyond wall behind speakers.Summing up the Rotel has delighted "me" punching way beyond the price.I feel the Arcam 73 is another bargain out there in this price arena.I auditioned both liked both(showroom)>Hdcd and low repair history gave edge to Rotel for "me".Pet peeves no display dimmer,how could Rotel miss that one.Likes good long warm-up.

Decent player for the money, but I would not give it a "Product of the year" unless the year was REALLY uneventful...