Rotel origins...

[caleb1995]

Can anyone tell me if Rotel is a British company or a Japanese company? I read somewhere that it is British, but the website offers no information on the history of the company and one could surmise from the contact addresses that the headquarters is in Japan.

Anyone who can tell me where Rotel is headquartered, where they manufacture and any history about the company would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

[aud19]

Rotel is a Japanese company with a British "influence" and has a manufacturing plant in China I believe. (It was China wasn't it?...) People tend to describe Rotel as having a British (neutral) sound to their components as opposed to most other Japanese companies having a more "artificial" sound.

Jason

[Andrew Pratt]

Give this thread a read...

Question and Answer Session

oops it wasn't answered in there like I thought it was...still its a good read

From what I recall Rotel is a Japanese company that's being in the same family since its inception. They use components from all over the world but favour power supplies made in the UK and the over all tone for Rotel would be what many would consider "English sounding". Most of their gear is made in a Rotel owned and opperated plant in China...which gives them the oppertunity to keep costs down but also have a high quality control process since its their plant.

[rosros]

Definitely Japanese. Their older products were manufactured in Japan like my RB990bx

[amix]

Wow, really....

Now, that you folks say it, I remember that I had heard something like it being Japanese.

But, until two minutes ago, I'd have sworen it would be British. Especially since I remeber seeing a portrait of some european, mostly British man, in a Rotel catalog. Who would it be if not Mr. Rotel himself ?!

[eelco74]

Until a few years ago, product development/testing was done in the UK.

Dunno if that is stil the case.

btw I like your amp, I had one myself. Got it in the 80's. It was my first Rotel amp. Traded it in for a RC-972/RB-981 + a lot of cash :-)

[amix]

btw I like your amp, I had one myself. Got it in the 80's. It was my first Rotel amp. Traded it in for a RC-972/RB-981 + a lot of cash :-)

Yeah, it's really a nice amp. Was (and still is) my first one too. Got it around '90 or so.

However, most switches are somehow broken. If I choose certain inputs I get overtalk, so strong, it could be the source chosen itself. Also the stere-mono-tone switch does not really work. I have to fiddle around to get some sound on *both* speakers. Any ideas ?

Uhm, that is going off-topic. So I will ask that in the Rotel section.

BTW: I plan replacing my stereo's amp with a Quad Pre/Amp combo, hopefuly I will find one on ebay.

[eelco74]

It is probably just worn out, altough the switches are quite sturdy.

Try some contact spray (only a little bit please) or resolder the connections to the print.

I had the 840BX4, so did a study friend of mine. We both had the same problem with a resistor burning out in de amp selection. Other than tha tis was a fine sounding amp. But a little to small for my huge transmission line speaker I got later. Thats why I updraded to a pre/power combo.