Rotel Michi X5 Integrated Amplifier Lab Report

Lab Report

I compare the performance of the X5 with the X3 in our boxout so I'll keep this report focused on the X5 as a solo product. Rated at 350W and 600W into 8/4ohm, respectively, it succeeds in delivering 2x450W/8ohm and 2x775W/4ohm at <1% THD with sufficient headroom to support 530W, 1.02kW and 1.15kW into 8, 4 and 2ohm loads under dynamic conditions, but limited to 590W/1ohm [see Graph 1, below]. Gain is a moderate +31.3dB (more 'useable' than the 40dB+ of many integrateds) but the A-wtd S/N ratio is below the industry average at 80dB (re. 0dBW).

Distortion is low and steady with output at 1kHz from 0.004%/1W to 0.0045%/10W, 0.005%/100W and 0.006% at the rated 2x350W/8ohm (drawing 1.15kW from the wall at this point). THD is impressively unperturbed with frequency too, holding to 0.004-0.005% from 20Hz-10kHz across 1W-100W/8ohm. Output impedance is a low 0.014-0.075ohm (20Hz-20kHz) and the response tailored through presence and treble to –0.8dB/20kHz.

Measured via the pre outs at 2V, the digital inputs are all subject to a minimum phase digital filter that trades reduced time domain distortion for a poor ~5dB stopband rejection and tailored HF response. The latter drops to –4.9dB/20kHz (or –3.3dB/20kHz with 48kHz files), with –5.9dB/45kHz and –6.9dB/90kHz realised with 96kHz and 192kHz digital files. Jitter is a little higher than average at 550-600psec and the A-wtd S/N slightly lower than expected at 104dB but low-level resolution remains true to a tight ±0.15dB over a 100dB dynamic range. Distortion is a low 0.0009-0.0085% with peak level (0dBFs) digital inputs (20Hz-20kHz), falling to a minimum of 0.0002-0.0009% at –10dBFs [see Graph 2, below]. PM

821rotel.lab1

Dynamic power output versus distortion into 8ohm (black trace), 4ohm (red), 2ohm (blue) and 1ohm (green) speaker loads. Max. current is 24.3A

821rotel.lab2

Distortion versus 48kHz/24-bit digital signal level over a 120dB range (1kHz, black; 20kHz, blue)

Continuous power (<1% THD, 8/4ohm) 450W / 775W
Dynamic power (<1% THD, 8/4/2/1ohm) 530W / 1020W / 1150W / 590W
Output imp. (20Hz–20kHz, Pre/Amp) 435ohm / 0.014-0.075ohm
Freq. response (20Hz–20kHz/100kHz) –0.15dB to –0.75dB/–1.75dB
Digital jitter (USB / S/PDIF) 550psec / 600psec
A-wtd S/N ratio (DAC/Amp) 104.1dB (0dBFs) / 80.4dB (0dBW)
Distortion (DAC, 0dBFs/Amp, 10W) 0.0009–0.009% / 0.004–0.007%
Power consumption (Idle/rated o/p) 105W / 1.15kW (1W standby)
Dimensions (WHD) / Weight 485x195x452mm / 43.8kg
Price £6300

COMPANY INFO
The Rotel Co. Ltd
Tokyo, Japan
Supplied by: Rotel Europe, Worthing, UK
01903 221 710
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