Rotel RB-1590 Stereo Power Amplifier - Silver

Three Hundred and Fifty Watts, Doubling Into Four Ohms

The RB-1590 is the top of Rotel's amplifier line and it does not hedge. Three hundred and fifty watts per channel into 8 ohms, and 648 into 4 — nearly double, which is what a genuinely stiff power supply looks like on a spec sheet.

That comes from two toroidal transformers and eight British-made BHC capacitors. Most amplifiers share a single transformer between the two channels. This one does not, and the 648-watt figure into 4 ohms is the evidence.

It is a Class AB design, and at 84 pounds it is built around the power supply it contains rather than the other way round. This is the amplifier for speakers that have already defeated something smaller.

Inside the Chassis

Distortion stays under 0.03% across the band, harmonic and intermodulation alike. Signal-to-noise measures 120dB A-weighted, and frequency response runs from 10Hz right up to 100kHz, holding within half a decibel the whole way.

The damping factor is 300, and channel separation is better than 50dB. Balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA inputs are both fitted and selected on the rear panel, at 100k and 12k ohms, with input sensitivities of 3.5V and 2.2V respectively.

The chassis measures 431mm wide, 237 high and 456 deep, and weighs 38.1kg, which is 84 pounds. Check the shelf before it arrives. Rotel covers amplifiers in North America with a 5-year warranty.

Who Is This Amplifier Best For?

• Your speakers are genuinely hard to drive — 648 watts per channel into 4 ohms, nearly double the 8 ohm figure, is what a stiff power supply delivers when a speaker's impedance drops away.
• Your room is large — 350 watts per channel keeps dynamics intact at the far end of a big space, so quiet passages still have shape rather than vanishing.
• You want dual transformers, not one shared — two toroidal transformers and eight BHC capacitors mean one channel's demands do not arrive as the other channel's compression.
• You want quiet with the power — 120dB signal-to-noise on an amplifier this size means the noise floor does not rise to meet the output.
• You are choosing the control stage yourself — the volume and the inputs belong to the preamp, and RC-1590MKII is the matched one

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Connect your preamplifier by balanced XLR or unbalanced RCA and set the rear-panel switch to match. Speakers go to the binding posts.

Plan the installation before delivery. At 84 pounds and 456mm deep, the RB-1590 needs a shelf rated for it and enough depth behind for cables.

Pairs Well With

Here are some great companions:

• Preamplifier: Required, and the natural next decision — see our Preamplifiers.
• Speaker Cables: Carry the current properly — see our Speaker Cables.
• Interconnects: Balanced XLR is the better run from preamp to amp — see our Interconnect Cables.
• Audio Rack: Give the amplifier a proper shelf — see our Audio Racks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much power does it make?

350 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 648 watts per channel into 4 ohms.

Why does the 4 ohm figure nearly double?

Because the power supply is stiff enough to sustain it. Two toroidal transformers and eight British-made BHC capacitors sit behind the output stage.

What class is it?

Class AB, with a conventional linear power supply rather than a switching design.

Does it take balanced inputs?

Yes. Balanced XLR at 100k ohms and unbalanced RCA at 12k ohms, with sensitivities of 3.5V and 2.2V respectively.

How big and heavy is it?

431mm wide, 237 high and 456 deep, weighing 38.1kg, or 84 pounds. Check your shelf and your cable depth first.

What warranty does it carry?

Rotel covers amplifiers in North America with a 5-year warranty.

See It in Action

The RB-1590 driving MartinLogan electrostatics:

A second review, on how much load the RB-1590 will take:

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