Rotel RC-1590MKII Stereo Preamplifier

Rotel RC-1590MKII Stereo Preamplifier - View 3

$1349.5 ~~$2699~~ In stock

Category: other

Rotel's Reference Preamp, and It Takes Everything

Rotel has built its own components for over 60 years, down to winding its own transformers. The RC-1590MKII is the company's reference stereo preamplifier, and the MKII revision reworked the audio path around a custom toroidal transformer and slit-foil capacitors.

The input count is what sets it apart. Three coaxial and three optical digital sockets, a PC-USB port taking 32-bit/384kHz and unfolding MQA and MQA Studio, four RCA line inputs, a balanced XLR pair, Bluetooth with aptX and AAC, and a moving-magnet phono input. It is Roon Tested.

So the disc player, the streamer, the television, the computer, the turntable and a phone can all stay plugged in at once. Nothing has to come out to make room for the next thing you buy, and no switch box sits in the signal path.

Outputs Built for a System That Grows

There are two sets of RCA preamp outputs and two pairs of balanced XLR outputs. Biamping, or feeding a second room, becomes a matter of running another cable rather than adding a distribution box.

Two mono subwoofer outputs run in parallel, summed from both channels, so a pair of subs is straightforward. A fixed line output bypasses the volume control for a recorder or processor, a digital output feeds an outboard DAC, and a 3.5mm headphone jack sits on the front panel without muting the preamp outputs.

The measurements are reference-grade. THD stays below 0.002%, signal-to-noise reaches 117dB through RCA, and line response runs 10Hz to 100kHz within a tenth of a decibel. Tone controls offer 10dB at 100Hz and 10kHz. At 17 inches wide, a 3U panel and 22.27 pounds, it is sized and finished to match Rotel's RB-series amplifiers.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Jim Milton reviewed the RC-1590MKII for Home Theater HiFi on July 19, 2021, running it with Rotel's RB-1590. It is, he concluded, "one of the finest sounding preamps I've heard. It delivers high-end sound and build quality at a reasonable price."

He put the listening more plainly still. The preamp "delivered some of the sweetest stereo listening I've heard in some time," and the Rotel pairing "could easily seduce me back to the world of two-channel music again." Under faults, he wrote: "No flaws of consequence."

Who Is This Preamplifier Best For?

You have more sources than sockets — three coaxial, three optical, four RCA line pairs, XLR, PC-USB and Bluetooth mean the disc player, the TV and the turntable all stay connected at once.
Your system is not finished yet — two RCA output pairs and two XLR pairs make biamping or a second zone a cable run rather than a rebuild, so the preamp outlasts the plan you have today.
You run a subwoofer, or two — the parallel mono outputs feed a pair of subs from one preamp, which is how bass gets even across a room instead of piling into one corner.
You listen on headphones too — the front-panel jack leaves the preamp outputs live, so private listening is a switch of amplifier rather than a re-plug behind the rack.
You play moving-coil records — the phono stage is moving magnet, set at 2.5mV and 47k ohms. A low-output coil needs an outboard stage from our phono preamplifiers, running into any line input.

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Run the balanced XLR or RCA outputs to your power amplifier, keeping the second pair for biamping or another room, and a subwoofer to either mono output. The turntable joins the phono input and a computer the PC-USB port.

Disc players and a television take the coaxial and optical sockets, and a phone pairs over Bluetooth. Headphones plug into the front, and the tone controls stand ready if the room needs them.

Pairs Well With

Building around the RC-1590MKII? Here are some great companions:

Power Amplifier: Rotel's RB-series completes the stack — see our Amplifiers.
Turntable: Put the built-in phono stage to work — see our Turntables.
Subwoofer: Two parallel outputs invite one, or a pair — see our Subwoofers.
Interconnects: Quality XLR cables feed your power amp — see our Interconnect Cables.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many digital inputs are there?

Six, in matched pairs: three coaxial and three optical, each taking LPCM to 24-bit/192kHz, plus a PC-USB port and Bluetooth.

Does it support MQA?

Yes, MQA and MQA Studio decoding to 24-bit/384kHz over PC-USB, and the unit carries Roon Tested certification.

Can I connect a turntable?

Yes. The moving-magnet phono input is set at 2.5mV sensitivity with the standard 47k-ohm loading.

Does it have a headphone output?

Yes, a 3.5mm jack on the front panel. It leaves the preamp outputs live, so switch your power amp off before listening.

Can I biamp or run a second zone?

Yes. There are two sets of RCA preamp outputs and two pairs of XLR outputs, plus a fixed line output that bypasses the volume control.

What finishes are available?

Silver or black, matching Rotel's amplifiers and disc players.

See It in Action

Rotel introduces the RC-1590MKII in its official overview:

AV Atmos covers the MKII and its upgrades over the original:

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