Pre/Power Amplifiers

Launched at the beginning of the '90s, the Michi range – taking its name from the Japanese word for 'direction' – was an attempt to move the Rotel brand into the high-end. This was a status the company had already hinted at with models such as the RC-5000 preamp and RB-5000 of the late 1970s – models that stated on their front panel 'The CONTROL amp' and 'The POWER amp'. In the style of the time, these '5000 models looked very 'technical': the preamp was a fiesta of knobs, flip-switches and sliders – not least thanks to the provision of a ten-fader Octave Equaliser – while the power amp had both VU meters and peak level LEDs, and another battery of switches.

The Michi lineup was a complete change, being subtle in its industrial styling, with a minimum of controls and not a sniff of VU meters. The lacquered side panels emphasised the use of traditional Japanese craftsmanship, with the RHC-10 passive control amp in particular being a masterpiece of simplicity. And the sense of artisanship went even further, each of the three initial models having not just a number, but a name [see inset picture]. Thus the RHC-10 was also known as Takumi (or craftsmanship), the RHQ-10 phono preamp Shih (poetry), and the RHB-10 dual mono power amp, delivering 200W/8ohm, Kokoro (heart).

The Michi range expanded from that initial core in the following years, with the additional models varying between markets. An active preamplifier, the RHA-10, joined the lineup, as did an RHT-10 FM tuner, and there was also a truly huge CD player, the RHCD-10, and a second power amp, the RB-05.