About The Rotel Michi X5 Series 2 Integrated Stereo Amplifier/DAC
Welcome to Michi Series 2. These premier, flagship products are the culmination of over 55 years of audio design experience built on the history and heritage of Rotel, delivering an unsurpassed level of audio performance all packaged in the most elegant of industrial designs.
Michi is the embodiment of the passion and ongoing commitment of this family owned audio business, continuing to deliver on the promise of engineering and manufacturing only the highest quality audio components. Over 5 decades of design experience, critical review of all sonic components and a bespoke acoustic tuning process coupled with a dedicated in-house Michi manufacturing facility ensures these products are proudly deserving to wear the Michi brand.
The optimized, custom designed power supply engineered in every Michi product ensures all critical audio circuits receive dynamic, stabilized power for breathtaking performance. Oversized, in house manufactured toroidal transformers supported by high efficiency, low ESR slit-foil capacitors deliver ripple free, isolated power to the analogue and digital circuits ensuring an accurate reproduction of the audio while maintaining critical tone, rhythm and tempo.
Musical expression is the true test of character for any audio product and is where the integrity of Michi is most easily recognized. Audition the Michi products to see, feel, and hear audio performance at its best.
The X5 Series 2 boasts Michi's exclusive multi-award winning acoustic engineering design methods and features over 95 component upgrades. The X5 has been updated utilising 8-channel ESS SABRE ES9028PRO 32-bit 768kHz Digital to Analogue converters. Power supplies and audio circuitry have also been reengineered and refined to render music with increased precision and detail on an immersive sound stage. Optimised signal paths, and lower-noise circuitry present music against a dead quiet background with astoundingly low distortion.
The Michi X5 Series 2 Integrated Amplifier is authoritative and precise driving an enviable 600 watts of Class AB output into 4 ohms powered by dual in-house manufactured oversized, shielded, low-noise toroidal transformers. This amplifier features over 95 component changes resulting in ultra-revealing music with breathtaking accuracy. A wide array of source inputs are supported including Analogue, Coaxial, Optical, XLR Balanced, aptX™ HD Wireless Bluetooth, PC-USB supporting full MQA hardware decoding (24-bit 384kHz), PCM (32-bit 384kHz), and Quad DSD (11.2MHz). A selectable Moving Magnet and Moving Coil Phono Stage input is included for turntables.
"We are thrilled and extremely proud to introduce the Series 2 models of our Michi X3, X5, and P5 models," says Daren Orth, Rotel's Chief Technology Officer. Orth continues, "These new products are the pinnacle of Michi audio engineering designed to deliver an even higher level of performance representing our passion to innovate, elevate and improve."
A Closer Look At The Michi X5 Series 2
The Michi X5 Series 2 is the flagship Integrated Amplifier in the range and everything about it seems solid and unflappable, even the sound. It delivers an astounding 600 Watts of Class AB power into 4 ohm speakers under even extreme loading conditions. The X5 Series 2 is replete with inputs ensuring support for all popular audio sources including Analogue, Digital, XLR, PC-USB with MQA rendering & Roon, aptX HD Bluetooth, and selectable Moving Magnet or Moving Coil Phono Stage.
Digital Done Right: An ESS SABRE ES9028PRO 8-Channel Digital to Analogue Converter is configured for stereo decoding, dedicating 4 channels each to the left and right audio signals rendering music with exceptionally accurate timing and an immersive soundstage which reveals the finest of details.
Exquisite Industrial Design: The acoustic eminence of the X5 Series 2 is achieved utilizing a perfect balance of innovation and critical engineering of every circuit, signal path and audio component ensuring the exquisite industrial design is surpassed only by breathtaking performance.
Near Limitless Bass Energy: Musical expression of the X5 Series 2 is evidenced by the exceptional control of near limitless bass energy and essential clarity of the midrange and high frequencies. The X5 Series 2 delivers true-to-life audio reproduction ensuring meticulous accuracy of the musical timing with exacting spatial positioning be it a solo artist or full orchestral symphony.
In-House Toroidal Transformers: The twin X5 Series 2 oversized, in-house manufactured toroidal transformers feed 88,000uF of high efficiency bulk storage smoothing capacitors with isolated power supply feeds to all acoustically sensitive circuits eliminating unwanted noise or distortion further refining the audio.
Sophisticated Control Interface: A front panel high-resolution graphic display is configurable to show operating status, 12 band Graphic EQ or Peak Power Meter. Front panel controls and included Michi remote control assure easy operation and configuration.
Dual sets of Rhodium plated custom Michi speaker binding posts allow effortless connection to loudspeakers including bi-wire installations. RS232 and Ethernet connections allow simple integration with control systems.
Roon Tested: The Rotel Michi X5 Series 2 Integrated Amp has been fully certified as Roon Tested via the PC-USB connection to ensure easy access to catalogues of both online and local music files.
"Michi is all about performance", remarks Daren Orth, Chief Technology Officer of Rotel. "Access to online music utilizing Roon delivers the best user experience and access to a near unlimited quantity of high-quality music files. We are pleased to add Michi to this ecosystem..."
Our Take
If you thought Rotel produced great CD & amplifier products in the under three grand range then you'd be correct. But you're be missing out on the bigger picture, because Rotel's Michi range offers serious high end amplification with impressive specifications and build quality, handsome looks and a suitably high price to match. The Michi X5 Series 2 is their top integrated and puts out a stump pulling 350 Watts into 8 Ohms and a mighty 600 Watts into 4 ohms. Balanced XLR & single ended RCA inputs are on offer as well as moving magnet & moving coil options begging for a good quality turntable hookup. Bi-Wiring is available through dual sets of Rhodium plated custom Michi speaker binding posts. Oh, and there's a whole cutting edge digital section that supports all the usual suspects including, optical, coaxial, USB-B, Ethernet & Bluetooth aptX HD. So, it has all the connectivity and power you could possibly want but does it have the musical goods? Well, if you're looking for an unflappable amplifier that seems to ooze musicality, dynamics and subtle tonal shading then this might be for you. There is such a total sense of ease and effortlessness that you just sink into the music and give the equipment no further thought. The X5 Series 2 is a fluid conduit to the performers and has a real 'take you there' quality about it that can become quite addictive. Be careful, auditioning this amplifier might be harmful to your wallet.
Main Features & Specifications
- Design: High Power Integrated Stereo Amplifier/DAC
- ESS SABRE ES9028PRO 8-Channel 768kHz/32bit Digital to Analogue Converter is configured for stereo decoding, dedicating 4 channels each to the left and right audio signals
- Coaxial (3), Optical (3) and Analog RCA (4) inputs
- PC-USB with DSD 4X decoding and MQA & MQA Studio rendering
- Bluetooth with aptX HD and AAC
- Roon Tested
- Moving Magnet and Moving Coil Phono Stage inputs
- XLR Balanced input
- Twin custom engineered toroidal transformers
- Dimmable front panel TFT high resolution display
- IP and RS232 2-way communication for control system integration
- Slim metal Michi remote control
Connections
- Analogue
- XLR Stereo x 1
- RCA Stereo x 4
- MM/MC Phono Stereo x 1 (Switchable)
- Mono Subwoofer Outputs x 2
- Stereo Preouts x 1
- Dual Binding Posts for Bi-Wiring
- Headphone Output x 1 (6.35mm Front Panel)
- Digital
- Optical x 3
- Coaxial x 3
- USB-B x 1 (PC-USB)
- USB-A x 1 (for charging only)
- Bluetooth (aptX HD & AAC)
- Control
- Ethernet x 1
- External Remote x 1
- 12V Trigger In/Out x 1
- 12V Trigger Out x 1
- RS232 x 1
Technical
- Maximum Power Output: 600 Watts/channel, 4Ω
- Continuous Power Output: 350 Watts/channel, 8Ω
- Total Harmonic Distortion: < 0.009%
- Intermodulation Distortion: < 0.03% (60 Hz : 7kHz, 4:1)
- Frequency Response
- Phono Input: 20 Hz - 20kHz (+0 dB, -0.2 dB)
- Line Level Inputs: 10 Hz - 100kHz (+0 dB, -0.6 dB)
- Damping Factor: 350 (20 Hz - 20kHz, 8 ohms)
- Input Sensitivity / Impedance
- Phono Input (MM): 5.7 mV / 47k ohms
- Phono Input (MC): 570 uV / 100 ohms
- Line Level Inputs (RCA): 380 mV / 100k ohms
- Line Level Inputs (XLR): 580 mV / 100k ohms
- Input Overload
- Phono Input (MM): 197 mV
- Phono Input (MC): 19 mV
- Line Level Inputs (RCA): 12.5 V
- Line Level Inputs (XLR): 12.5 V
- Preamplifier Output Level / Impedance: 1 V / 470 ohms
- Tone Controls
- Bass: ± 10 dB at 100Hz
- Treble: ± 10 dB at 10kHz
- Signal to Noise Ratio (IHF A weighted)
- Phono Input (MM/MC):80 dB
- Line Level Inputs:102 dB
- Channel Separation
- Phono Input (MM): > 65 dB
- Line Level Inputs: > 65 dB
- Digital Section
- Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 20k Hz (0 ± 0.4 dB)
- Signal to Noise Ratio (IHF "A" weighted): 102 dB
- Input Sensitivity/Impedance: 0 dBFs / 75 ohms
- Preamplifier Output Level: 1.2 V (at -20 dB Volume Position)
- Coaxial/Optical Digital Signals: SPDIF LPCM (up to 192k Hz 24 bit)
- PC-USB
- USB Audio Class 1.0: (up to 96kHz 24bit)
- USB Audio Class 2.0: (up to 384kHz 32bit)*
- *Driver installation required
- Roon, MQA, MQA Studio, DSD and DoP (DSD over PCM) support
- Power Consumption: 850 watts
- Standby Power Consumption
- Normal: < 0.5 watts
- Network wakeup: < 2 watts
- Finish: Matte Black with Glass Front Panel
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 485 x 195 x 452mm
- Front Panel Height: 177mm
- Weight: 43.8kg
- Manufacturer's Warranty: 5 Years
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE