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Turntables were my Forsell Air Force One and the La Luce/SpJ 'table and arm from Holland. Other cartridges on hand were the van den Hul Grasshopper IV GLA and Black Beauty, the Clearaudio Insider, and the Win SMC-10 and transformer.

Preamps included the Nagra PL-P and the YBA Signature 6 Chassis, plus the Expressive Technology SU-1 MC Step-Up transformer. Amplifiers in play were the Boulder 2050s, the YBA Passion monoblocks, and Forsell's The Statement. Speakers were our JMlab Utopias, optimized with Argent RoomLenses and ASC Studio Traps.

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Rotel's philosophy of audio design is consistent with my own taste as a reviewer. As explained in Rotel's US dealer training manual (143 pages, with multiple-choice review questions at the conclusion of each chapter), the company's focus…

Description: Solid-state stereo power amplifier. Output: 200Wpc into 8 ohms (23dBW), 300Wpc into 4 ohms (21.8dBW). Frequency response: <10Hz–100kHz, ±1dB. Damping factor: >500. Total harmonic distortion: <0.03%. Intermodulation distortion: <0.03%. Signal/noise ratio: 120dB.
Dimensions: 17" W by 5" H by 15" D. Weight: 37 lbs.
Price: $999 (1999); no longer available (2007). Approximate number of dealers: 200.
Serial number of unit reviewed: 748 136040.
Manufacturer: Rotel of America, 54 Concord Street, North Reading, MA 01864. Tel: (978)…

Analog source: VPI TNT Mk.IV turntable, Immedia tonearm, Koetsu Urushi cartridge.
CD players: California Audio Labs Icon Mk.II and Delta/Sigma II.
Preamplification: Vendetta Research SCP-2D phono stage, Audible Illusions Modulus L1 line-stage.
Loudspeakers: Acarian Systems Aláon Circe, Aláon V Mk.II, Mission 731i.
Cables: MIT MI350 CVTwin Terminator and MI330 Shotgun interconnects, Acarian Systems Black Orpheus speaker cable.
Accessories: Various items from VPI, Sound Anchor, SimplyPhysics, ASC, Bright Star, TG Audio Labs.—Robert J. Reina

The measurements of the Rotel RB-991 were made primarily in unbalanced mode, though selected readings were taken in balanced operation. Unless otherwise noted, the results discussed here refer to the unbalanced connection.

Following its preconditioning test, the Rotel RB-991 was very warm, but not unusually so for a high-powered amplifier. Its voltage gain measured 31.8dB unbalanced, 24.9dB balanced. The input impedance measured 36k ohms (45.2k ohms balanced). DC offset was a highish 22.1mV in the left channel, 13.1mV in the right. The RB-991 is…

By their third album, most young rock bands have found that the evolution of their art is a lot harder than it looks. Not only do many lose focus after a successful debut, but the majority, even those who stay serious, make a record or maybe two, then suddenly find themselves out of material and ideas. Look no further than The Strokes for an example of a band stunted and badly in need of fresh energies and directions, their…

But when I sat down to think, as I often do while writing, it occurred to me that I've never actually paid for a watch: They've all been gifts. Working backward in time, there was the Swatch that my travel-agent wife brought back from a trip to the Virgin Islands; the very convincing fake Rolex that my mother bought for me during a trip to Bermuda; and the beautiful vintage Wittnauer that once belonged to my great-uncle Jack Dunphy, and which is now one…

Some readers have a sharp and reasonable interest in products that are here for more than 60 to 90 days: long-term loans,…